Okay, so it may only be January, but a brand new year means a brand new series of Love Island is on the way and we’re already counting down the days until a new batch of Islanders enter the villa for a long hot summer of coupling up and crackin’ on.
However, bosses are reportedly planning a major change for the upcoming eighth series and we definitely didn’t see this coming…
According to reports, the famous villa where the ITV2 show has been filmed for the past five series has been AXED and bosses are currently scouting for a new location on the island of Majorca.
A telly insider told The Sun, “ITV bosses think this is the right moment to refresh this element of the show, just as they did in series three back in 2017. Love Island moved from a location in Santanyi in southern Majorca, which was its home for series one and two, to the current villa in Sant Llorenç des Cardassar, in the north-east.
“Now they’re considering a range of options, but want to stay on the island which has provided the perfect sunny backdrop for the show. Bosses are conscious of the fact that this is also an opportunity to consider all the new elements they could introduce to enhance the show even further.
“For fans of Love Island this is huge news and they’ll be eager to see what the new villa looks like and how much it could change the show.”
CHECK OUT: Love Island's most controversial moments
Love Island's most controversial moments (slider)
1 of 11Faye Winter and Teddy Soares feud
Following the Mad Movies challenge that showed Teddy talking to Casa Amor bombshell Clarisse Juliette, Faye Winter was left furious. For the majority of the following episode, that was an hour-long, Faye was shouting at Teddy, Matthew MacNabb and even Dale Mehmet. As a result of the showdown, Ofcom received a record number of 24,763 complaints from viewers.
2 of 11Love Island 2021 postcard
Love Island bosses brought the postcard challenge back during the 2021 series and it caused quite the stir in the villa. It left Millie Court in the dark about Liam Reardon's antics and Faye Winter thought Teddy Soares had kissed another girl however it was part of a game.Teddy returned (with Faye's teddy bear in hand) and was left single in the villa and Casa Amor bombshell Lillie Haynes returned and exposed Liam, which left Millie devastated.
3 of 11Love Island's lie detector test
In 2019 it also came to light that the infamous lie detector test had been axed. Ofcom investigated reality TV rules following the tragic death of Steve Dymond following his appearance on The Jeremy Kyle Show.
4 of 11Laura Anderson and Paul Knops in the final
Love Island 2018 already had a few controversial moments but it was the final episode that drew in some complaints. After Laura Anderson and Paul Knops came runners up on the show, viewers took to Ofcom and complained because they were not in an official relationship. In third place was Megan Barton Hanson and Wes Nelson and in fourth place was Josh Denzel and Kaz Crossley - both couples were in an exclusive relationship.
5 of 11Paige Turley and Finn Tapp's headline challenge
After the Mean Tweet challenge appeared to be scrapped during the 2020 series, the News Splash didn't go down well with viewers.Paige Turley was left furious when one of the headlines said, 'Casa Amor causes Callum, Finn and Nas' head to turn on tonight's Love Island'.Finn protested his innocence but Paige was annoyed and so were fans who branded the headline as "fake news".
6 of 11Love Island axe smoking area
Remember the early days of Love Island where the majority of the Islanders would gossip over the smoking area? Well following a lot of complaints, in 2018 the producers took action and removed the smoking area from inside the villa.
7 of 11Casa Amor in 2019
They say Casa Amor is one of the hardest tests and the 2019 series proved it because it received over 300 complaints. Poor Amy Hart was left devastated when Curtis Pritchard admitted his head turned towards Jourdan Riane. Meanwhile, Amber Gill was left single when Michael Griffiths savagely dumped her for Joanna Chimonides.
8 of 11Georgia Steel and Jack Fowler's kiss
During the 2018 series, Love Island received 655 complaints following Georgia Steel and Jack Fowler's kiss. While Georgia insisted that they both intentionally kissed on their date, Jack was sure that he went to kiss her cheek but she moved in for the lips. Luckily the truth came out during the reunion and Georgia FINALLY apologised.
9 of 11Tommy Fury and Maura Higgins
A lot of viewers felt uncomfortable when Maura Higgins tried to kiss Tommy Fury, despite his protests and Love Island received 709 complaints.
10 of 11Dani Dyer crying
Jack Fincham was floored when he saw his ex-girlfriend walk into Casa Amor but no one was more devastated than Dani Dyer who was left in a flood of tears. After the episode aired, Ofcom received 2,644 complaints about the show.
11 of 11Joe Garratt and Lucie Donlan's relationship
During the early stages of Love Island 2019, Ofcom received 600 complaints over Joe Garratt and Lucie Donlan's relationship. Viewers accused him of having a "controlling nature" when Lucie was left in tears and Women's Aid issued a statement about the show.
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Producers are said to be considering moving the foothills of mountains, by a lake or to the coast, but despite the major change reportedly being lined up, those behind the show are still keen to keep much-loved villa features like the fire pit and swimming pool.
It’s thought that series eight will be the first time viewers are introduced to the new villa, with producers currently working hard behind the scenes to put together the new season after applications to join the cast opened earlier this year.
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This all comes after it was claimed producers are hoping to attract a wider range of contestants by opening up applications to non-binary singles. According to the same publication, the application form gives would-be contestants the option to specify their gender as male, female, non-binary, prefer not to say and prefer to self-describe.
A source told the outlet, “Producers are under more pressure than ever to make this series as woke as possible after it has previously come under criticism for its lack of diversity.
“The move could make the basic rules of the show complicated, as each coupling ceremony separates boys and girls, but they are keen to have a non-binary contestant this year. It’s all about inclusivity and breaking down boundaries.”