Take Me Out took a cheeky swipe at Love Island in its latest episode

It’s fair to say that last summer ITV2’s Love Island took the reality dating show crown – so perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that some of its rivals are feeling a LITTLE insecure about their own place in the TV landscape afterwards.

At least, that’s what seems to have happened in last night’s episode of long-running love-match series Take Me Out, when host Paddy McGuinness gave a good natured swipe at ITV’s sister channel’s greatest success.

• Behind the scenes on Take Me Out: an excruciatingly awkward ride in the Love Lift, a chat with Paddy McGuinness and a visit to “Girl World”
• Let the wedding see the ring: Take Me Out couple celebrate marriage

Talking to the long line of contestants on last night’s new episode, Guinness asked Amberlee what kind of man she was looking for, to which she replied "I love Alex Bowen - he's from Love Island."

But McGuinness was having none of it, exclaiming "What?! We don't mention that show here!"

https://twitter.com/ITV/status/949718840778285057

And ITV’s Twitter account continued the joke, describing Take Me Out as a “classy show” in comparison to its rival – much to the disdain of ITV2’s own account.

https://twitter.com/itv2/status/949719705639702534

These family rivalries, eh? Can’t imagine what an ITV channel Christmas is like.

Anyway, the whole thing was capped off by Alex Bowen himself, with the ex-Love Islander diplomatically deferring to his fiancé (and fellow contestant) Olivia Buckland in all matters of the heart.

https://twitter.com/ab_bowen07/status/949720206364041216

https://twitter.com/OliviaDBuck/status/949720538997501952

You can't say fairer than that! Now we're just wondering whether we'd prefer a week in the Love Island villa or sunning ourselves on the Isle of Fernando's...

Take Me Out continues on Saturday nights on ITV, while Love Island will return to ITV2 later this year