It might be cold here in the UK, but over in South Africa, a new set of islanders are preparing for a winter of fun in the Love Island villa.
The ITV2 dating show is returning on Monday (16 January) at 9pm for the first winter edition since the pre-pandemic 2020 series.
At the helm for the first time is Maya Jama, who takes over presenting duties from Laura Whitmore.
This year’s initial line-up of islanders have already been announced and include a TikTok-famous farmer, a ring girl and a contestant who is blind in one eye.
This year’s opening episode comes with a twist, as the public have been asked for the first time to vote for who they want to join the villa as the first “bombshell”: semi-pro footballer Tom Clare or business development executive Ellie Spence.
Behind the scenes, another major change has happened, as the contestants have been asked for the first time to make their accounts “dormant” while they appear on the show.
ITV hopes the measure will help protect the contestants’ mental health. Usually, friends and family of the islanders run their accounts while they’re away.
Follow for updates from the opening episode here...
