The brand new Love Island villa has been unveiled for the first time ahead of the start of the series next week. The summer is about to get a whole lot hotter as the ITV2 dating show returns to screens on Monday, June 6.
And the now-famous villa has been swapped for a new build. The most recent series of the popular dating show have been filmed at a property near Sant Llorenc des Cardassar, in the east of the Spanish island. However, it reportedly become unavailable for the forthcoming series, prompting the show’s bosses to look elsewhere.
The show’s executive producer Mike Spencer said the new villa was selected in December and began being redesigned in January. The villa for the eighth series is again situated in Mallorca’s green and mountainous landscape in the east of the island.
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Islanders will now enter through a new giant chrome heart which sits outside the front of the building over a wooden walkway leading to the front door. The first-look images give a glimpse at bright orange carpet and funky pink retro lights as well as traditional neon hearts and usual squiggly quotes dotted around the place.
With a similar layout to the show’s previous location, the bedroom is on the ground floor of the villa and houses a selection of double beds. The show has done away with placing them in a row, and has a number of beds facing each other offering a more communal feel and intimate arrangement.
The new villa will also see the return of "the dog house" – a foldout bed in the living room, where islanders who find themselves on the wrong side of their partner may spend the night.
The girls’ dressing room again leads out to the enclosed sun terrace overlooking the infinity pool, which this year features in-water sun loungers. A pop art theme and eye-catching neon lights run throughout the villa and a rose-gold kitchen has been installed outside.
The garden features a variety of seating areas with yellow, blue and pink accents. Alongside the usual sun loungers, there are now two new beds in the water of the pool as well as a gym area with weights and a 'Work It' neon sign offering some encouragement.
Speaking about the decision to include more secluded outside areas, Mr Spencer said: "It’s the first time, I think, that we’ve designed it more editorially. We know how many chat areas we need, we know you want those places you can sneak off to." He added that the fire pit area where the islanders often gather ahead of dumpings and new arrivals is now more of an "arena" for the show’s most dramatic moments.
Laura Whitmore will return to present the hit ITV2 series, a role she has held since 2020. She has already admitted she gets “really scared” she might give something away to the contestants, particularly during the ultimate relationship test of Casa Amor.
The annual tradition sees the couples temporarily split as the male islanders head to the rival villa to meet another group of girls while a new cohort of boys enter the main house in a challenge to see if they will stay faithful to their current match.
She said: "I can’t make eye contact during Casa Amor. Even though they all try and make eye contact with me. They’re all trying to look at me and I’m kind of keeping my eyes down. I have to really go into professional mode and not talk any more than I’m supposed to talk. I have to be unbiased." She added: “So I didn’t really know the previous villa in Mallorca. So it’s quite nice to go in with a fresh villa."
The series eight islanders were revealed on social media on Monday and include former England striker Michael Owen’s daughter Gemma and model and dancer Tasha Ghouri, who has a cochlear implant and is the show’s first deaf contestant.
Love Island starts at 9pm Monday June 6 on ITV2 and ITV Hub. Episodes are available the following morning on BritBox
