He was booted out of the Love Island villa for 'breaking the rules' in a shock move earlier this week.

And Sherif Lanre reemerged on Instagram on Saturday to post a shirtless snap taken during a show 'lockdown' - before it was quickly deleted from his account.

In the snap, the chef, 20, who was axed from the ITV2 reality show on Tuesday, relaxed under the covers in his hotel room.

Sherif held his arms behind his head against the plush leather headboard as he posed for the snap, which amassed more than 24,000 likes before it was deleted.

He captioned the photograph: 'Just waiting... #lockdown #itiswhatitis'. It is believed Sherif, who was coupled up with Anna Vakili in the villa, was asked to remove the shot by producers. 

The reason for the chef's shock exit remains a mystery, and Love Island bosses are said to be holding back the details amid fears it could damage the show. 

The ITV2 series rakes in an estimated £25million a year in advertising revenue, including a sponsorship deal with high-street health and beauty retailer Superdrug.

But The Sun claim bosses are fearful of the fiscal impact Sherif's transgression might have on the show, with the reason being carefully held back to avoid any potential loss of earnings.

It's understood that executives have demanded a wall of silence regarding his exit, with security drafted in to prevent family members speaking publicly. 

The chef took to Instagram Stories on Wednesday, a day after the initial news broke, thanking his fans for their support.

The post came as fans continued to ask show bosses why he had to leave the show without explanation, saying the 'rumours could be worse than the truth.'

He wrote on Instagram: 'Thank you to everyone including my friends and family for the support I've come back to.

'I appreciate you all and hope I provided some good, positive moments during my time on Love Island and for anyone wondering I'm all good.' 

Sherif also hashtagged the popular Islander saying, 'it is what it is', along with a crying-with-laughter emoji. 

It has also been revealed that the ex-Islander was being guarded by 24 hours security following his return to the UK after his ejection.

Hot on the heels of the boosted after-care, ITV bosses told MailOnline: 'Security is provided to assist families as part of our duty of care'.

Insiders meanwhile told the Sun: 'Sherif is being closely guarded by round-the-clock security that has been put in place by ITV. 

'They want to make sure he's being looked after and they're keen to protect him from fans and trolls.'