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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Zoe Delaney

Winter Love Island to return as two new series for 2023 confirmed by ITV

ITV have revealed Love Island will return for not one but two series next year.

The ITV2 show will kick start the New Year with a fresh batch of Islanders heading to South Africa on a quest for love and romance.

In the villa of their dreams, their stay in paradise will serve up everything from bombshell arrivals to hideaway hijinks.

It will be business as usual throughout the summer, as the popular dating show will return to Mallorca for another eight week run.

Announcing the news on Thursday, Paul Mortimer, Director of Reality Commissioning and Controller, ITV2, said: "Love Island has once again proved itself to be the nation’s favourite talking point across the summer, and we’re always blown away by the show’s ongoing impact and talkability amongst our younger audience.

The Love Island villa used for the 2020 series in South Africa (Joe Alblas/ITV/REX)

"So, rather than just serving up a Summer of Love, we thought we’d make 2023 the Year of Love with two full series of the show."

Mike Spencer, Executive Producer at Lifted Entertainment, added: "After eight brilliant series, we are excited to be serving up two helpings of love in 2023 by kicking off in January at a stunning new villa in South Africa.

"We can look forward to more romances, bromances and everything in between as we embark on another epic year of love."

Paige Turley and Finley Tapp found love thanks to the winter edition of the ITV2 show (ITV/REX)

The first ever series of Love Island to take place away from Spain aired at the start of 2020 - the first series to see Laura Whitmore head up the ITV2 show as the main presenter.

Paige Turley and Finley Tapp became the first ever couple to win the first 'Winter Love Island' in South Africa in February 2020 - splitting the £50,000 prize fund.

Speaking as the news of winter Love Island's return broke, the pair said: "Love Island enabled us to find love with someone that without the show, our paths would never have crossed.

Laura Whitmore took over from Caroline Flack for the 2020 series (ITV/REX)

"We both found everything that we’d asked for in a partner in each other and we now live together in Manchester (we’ve been here for almost two years)."

They added: "We’ve got a new amazing group of friends and literally couldn’t imagine life without each other."

Following Paige and Finley's victory, Love Island was forced to take a break from our screens due to the coronavirus pandemic - with the summer months of 2020 being a long, hot summer with the nation's favourite dating show off-air for the first time since its launch in 2015.

The 2020 series took place just weeks before lockdowns began across the world (ITV/REX)

The ITV2 series returned in style the following year, with a whole new batch of singletons ready to mingle and find love after over a year of lockdowns and pandemic-related restrictions.

Millie Court and Liam Reardon were crowned champions of the seventh series of the popular show, and are still together to this day.

"I will always be grateful to Love Island for introducing me to Liam, we had the summer of our lives and I cannot believe it has been a year since we met in Mallorca," Millie said on Thursday as it was revealed Love Island would be airing twice a year going forward.

Millie Court and Liam Reardon are still loved-up a year on from the show (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

"The Villa gave me a new life that has enabled me to travel and work with brands I used to dream of working with. I also made friends for life, so I will always thank Love Island and I highly recommend anyone looking for love to apply!"

Cara De La Hoyde and Nathan Massey are one of the show's biggest success stories - welcoming two child into the world together since winning the show in 2016.

"We both went on the show to have a laugh and also hopefully find love, and that is exactly what we did…we had fun, we fell in love, and here we are six years later married, two beautiful children, a dog and a lovely house," the happy couple recalled on Thursday.

Former winners Nathan Massey and Cara De La Hoyde are still blissfully happy six-years on (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

"We are still very lucky to be in the public’s hearts and minds, and wherever we are in the world, we always get somebody asking how we are or stopping us for a selfie. Without being on Love Island we would never even have met."

Jess Shears and Dom Lever are another couple still loved up after meeting in the infamous villa - tying the knot just one year on from first meeting thanks to the show in 2017.

"For me Love Island changed everything about my life. I met my wife, mother of my children, and moved across the country for a better life," Dom gushed as the new broke of Love Island doubling their output.

"Not to mention it changed the course of my career and now I get to spend everything with my family and working for myself."

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