The start of a new year only means one thing here at heat: we are already counting down the days until a new series of Love Island is in our lives.
We’re here to bring you good news – applications are now OPEN for this year’s summer of love.
Fancy yourself as the next Maura Higgins or Molly-Mae Hague? Perhaps you want to follow in the footsteps of Liam Reardon or Luke Trotman? There’s good news if you’ve always dreamed of going on Love Island as applications for the 2022 series are now open.
Ahead of the new series, bosses are said to have made some changes to the applications process to enough a diverse range of singletons to apply following calls for the show to include wider representation of different body types, race and sexuality.
According to reports, those in charge of the ITV2 show are hoping to encourage applications from non-binary hopefuls – meaning those who do not identify as male or female.
The Sun has claimed that 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.
And after a casting call for LGBTQ+ Islanders on Tinder, applicants can describe their sexual orientation as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual or other.
A TV insider told the publication, “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.”
CHECK OUT Love Island 2021 cast: their jobs before the show
Love Island 2021 cast: their jobs before the show - slider
1 of 12Kaz Kamwi - fashion influencer
Before heading into the villa, Kaz was already an influencer (with 71k followers) and could have been earning up to £1,000 per post. So annually she could have been making £57,200.
2 of 12Teddy Soares - senior financial consultant
Teddy already had a pretty stable career before his time in the villa. He was a senior financial consultant in Manchester means he could have been earning around £42k a year.
3 of 12Jake Cornish - water engineer
OG Islander Jake was a water engineer in Weston-super-Mare before going into the villa which means he could have been making £38k a year.
4 of 12Chloe Burrows - marketing executive in financial services
Chloe, the most iconic bombshell from Love Island 2021, was a marketing executive in financial services before going into the villa. She could have been earning £36,700 a year.
5 of 12Abigail Rawlings - tattoo artist
Abigail was a tattoo artist in Bournemouth before her stint on Love Island and she could have been earning £35k a year.
6 of 12Tyler Cruickshank - estate agent
Bombshell Tyler was an estate agent in Croydon before going on the ITV show. Who knows whether he'll return to his job but he could have been earning around £29k a year.
7 of 12Millie Court - fashion buyer assistant
Millie is arguably the best dressed in the Love Island 2021 villa and that may be because of her job as a fashion buyer assistant for ASOS. At her old job in London, Millie could have been earning £26k a year.
8 of 12Hugo Hammond - trainee PE teacher
Because Hugo only completed part of his teacher training, he wasn't actually a full-time PE teacher but nevertheless he could have still be earning £25,750 a year.
9 of 12Faye Winter - lettings manager
Faye was a lettings manager in Devon and she could have been earning around £25k a year.
10 of 12Liam Reardon - bricklayer
As a bricklayer in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, Liam may have been earning £22,800 a year.
11 of 12Toby Aromolaran - semi professional footballer
Toby is a semi professional footballer, who plays for Hashtag United, and he could have been earning £18k.
12 of 12Liberty Poole - Nando's waitress and marketing student
As a waitress at Nando's Liberty could be earning around £18k a year.
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Now that applications are open, 2021 Islander Liberty Poole has offered her advice to those wanting to go through the long process of applying for the show. Despite being approached by show bosses, Liberty, who worked at Nandos before appearing on the show, she still had to go through the application process.
She told Grazia, “I've always sort of wanted to do [Love Island] but it's never been the right time until now.
“So I did get approached in my DMs, just asking if I would be interested. But I still had to go through the whole application process from start to finish in, there was no shortcut.”
After being inundated with questions about the process, Liberty recently shared some handy tips with her Instagram followers.
In a video uploaded to her Instagram stories, the 22-year-old said, "So I've had quite a few messages [in my DMs] asking me about my audition tape for Love Island and stuff now applications are back open, so I thought I’d just jump on here and help everyone out."
She continued, "I think just be yourself. I'm an absolute nutter and they liked it. Also, I think think outside the box."
Liberty, who fell in and out of love with co-star Jake Cornish whilst on the show, even got a bit creative with her application, "I did like a Periometer because I still worked at Nando's - so it still showed who I was but in a different way. Just like have fun with it. Don't be too serious.
“Reflect who you are while thinking outside the box. Mine was pure [cheese] because I'm the queen of cringe."
WATCH “Babies? Yes 100%” Chloe & Toby are moving mad after Love Island!
The reality star even told followers what questioned they could be asked if they made it to an interview, including ‘if they had a party trick’.
There are a number of eligibility requirements for those applying, including a strict stipulation that candidates must be at least 18 at the date of their application.
Applicants can't be currently employed by ITV or other relevant companies connected to the programme - nor can they be the "immediate relative" or "live-in partner" of someone who works on Love Island.
If you want to apply for the next series of Love Island then applications for the next series are now open via the ITV website.