'Love Island UK' Pulls Contestant Gabriel Garland After Stabbing Case Connection

"Love Island UK" just got hit with an unexpected dumping ... but this one came from producers, not the public.

Casa Amor contestant Gabriel Garland has been removed from the hit dating show after producers became aware of his connection to a 2019 stabbing case in London.

Garland reportedly was never charged with a crime, nor was he found to have committed any wrongdoing -- which may be why the show's producers didn't discover the connection sooner.

The timing still makes for an unusual twist ... Gabriel had already entered Casa Amor and filmed scenes before producers learned of the case. ITV told Deadline that Gabriel has now left the "Love Island UK" villa and won't be returning.

The surprise exit has sparked questions about the show's vetting process ... with some wondering how the connection wasn't flagged earlier. The network said its background checks didn't uncover the case because Garland was never convicted of any offense.