Love Island fans have had their hearts wrenched by Chris Hughes, who could not contain his emotions as he became a father – to a robot baby.

The couples were tasked with looking after pretend infants in Wednesday night’s episode of the ITV 2 show, and some took to the challenge more naturally than others.

Hughes broke down in tears as he stood his ground about how to look after his baby properly, taking care to protect it from the Majorcan resort heat with a hat, while Sam Gowland lounged under the glaring sun with his.

He laughed through sobs: “Why am I crying? It’s because I care about the baby. What has got into me?”

But his emotional reaction was a hit with viewers, who could not help but be won over as he exposed his paternal side.

Among those who tweeted that he was “adorable” and would make the “best dad,” were some who took it a step further with comments such as: “Watching Chris with that baby almost made my ovaries explode.”

But the baby fever was soon forgotten as the islanders were treated to an adults-only glitter party, before Gowland and partner Georgia Harrison were dumped from the show.

Love Island continues on Thursday at 9pm, ITV2.