Updated 3pm.

A Love Island Malta contestant has left the villa without being voted off and after just two days, citing health issues.

Rani Dahl joined the reality TV show on Monday but announced on Tuesday's episode that she would be moving out. 

“It’s been two nice days, two intense days,” Rani Dahl said after breaking the news to the rest of the islanders. 

On the show, 24-year-old Dahl cited health issues as the reason behind her sudden departure, saying that was "definitely a priority."

“So thanks and goodbye.”

In a cryptic Instagram story uploaded after leaving the villa, Dahl added: "To say the least, the production and I did not couple up."

Dahl is the second contestant to quit the show of her own volition, after Sabrina Grima opted to leave, saying she needed to do so for her own mental health. 

Grima, who was one of the villa's original 10 contestants, quit after one week on the show. 

Love Island Malta is the local iteration of the UK-led reality TV franchise. 

Aired on TVM six days a week, it sees contestants live together in a villa and paired up as couples, as they seek to find love while cameras watch them.

Producer Ben Camille told Times of Malta that Dahl had asked for some medical assistance during her first day in the villa. However, the medic on hand did not inform producers of specifics.

When asked if there were any other reasons for her departure, Camille said that the physical and mental well-being of their participants is their top priority.

Six-digit viewership

During the show’s premiere, some 160,000 people – almost a third of the country’s population – tuned in. Since then, the show has dropped in viewership but its weekly average has never dipped below six digits, a TVM spokesperson said.

During the show’s second week, an average of 110,000 people tuned in to each episode while week three’s average rose to 116,500, they said. 

Meanwhile, on the same episode as Dahl’s departure, contestant Allen Piscopo received the upsetting news that his grandmother passed away.

Commenting on Piscopo’s unfortunate news, Camille once again emphasised the production team’s priority on the contestants’ health. 

Unable to say whether Piscopo will also be taking a leave of absence, Camille said that the decision is in Piscopo’s hands and the show will respect his choice.