THE plot thickened last night on “Temptation Island” as two couples went on an emotional roller-coaster ride and one of the single women voluntarily left the show.
Heather – the blond, blue-eyed 26-year-old singer/dancer from Stafford, Va., and one of the 13 single women on hand to tempt the four attached men – opted out of the program, apparently because she no longer felt comfortable about participating.
“[Contestants] are always given the opportunity to leave if they no longer want to participate,” a Fox spokesman said.
Heather’s exit was seen as part of the show last night. Among the single men, 27-year-old Keith, described as an Internet entrepreneur from Atlanta, was voted off the island by the four attached women, who unanimously said he failed to “connect” with any of them.
Last night’s episode was the third installment in the six-week reality series, which is airing Wednesday nights at 9 on Fox.
The show began with the separated men and women viewing messages on videotape from their significant others.
All but one of the couples opted to participate in the message exchange, although the couple that opted out – troubled Ytossie and Taheed – seemed to rue their decision as they watched the other couples view their videotapes.
Then it was on to this week’s dates. Unlike last week, when the contestants’ dates were arranged by the show’s producers, the group members this week chose their own dates from among the singles who remained on the island.
And they made their choices in full view of their mates.
Later, at the bonfires that conclude each week’s show, some of the attached men and women had an opportunity to view videotape of their mates’ dates.
One couple in particular had a difficult time with that – free-spirited Mandy and her man, Billie, who saw his flame-haired girlfriend receiving a hot massage from her date, Johnny, the dreadlocked poet.
As the episode came to a close, Mandy acknowledged that she was worried Billie would be upset with her after he saw the video. On the other side of the island, at the men’s bonfire, Billie was so overcome by what he saw that he refused to watch any more.