Love Island contestants will be faced with a new twist when they enter the villa for the first episode of the new series tonight as the boys and girls will arrive at the same time, in a mix-up to kick off the new show.
In the past, only one gender has entered the villa, and then contestants of the opposite sex have entered one at a time to be coupled up at the iconic firepit with ITV host Maya Jama overseeing the first batch of couples.
Beautician Ruchee Gurung, 24, from Sutton, Surrey and Jess Harding, 22, an aesthetics practitioner from London, will be the first islanders to make their entrance and will get a surprise when they are joined by the first boy in the Spanish villa.
They will be joined by gas engineer Mitchel Taylor, 26, from Sheffield, and 23-year-old model Ella Thomas, from Glasgow, and business owner Andre Furtado, 21, from Dudley.
The 10th series of the ITV dating show will see broadcaster Maya Jama present her first eight-week summer series after taking over from Laura Whitmore for the last winter series in South Africa.
Once the first five Islanders have arrived, Maya Jama gathers them by the firepit to find out what kind of partner they are looking for.
Ella replies: “Looks wise, I’d say tall with nice teeth," whilst Ruchee agrees and adds: “Height, fashion-sense and someone I can bring home to my family because I’m so family-orientated.”
Jess says: “My type’s a pretty boy, with Turkey teeth!”
Maya Jama then reveals that the decision of who the islanders will couple up with has already been made for them by the public. Ahead of the first episode, fans were given the chance to vote on the Love Island app for which contestants will be paired up.
Also among the contestants is 24-year-old Tyrique Hyde, a semi-professional footballer from Essex, who is deaf in one ear and musical theatre performer Molly Marsh, 21, from Doncaster.
They will be joined by estate agent Catherine Agbaje, 22, from Dublin, Mehdi Edno, 26, from Bordeaux in France, business development executive George Fensom, 24, from Bedford.
Meanwhile, ITV recently confirmed that contestants will have to disable their social media accounts while on the show to protect both themselves and their families – a policy which was introduced during the last winter series.
As part of the broadcaster’s duty of care policies, islanders will again complete video training and guidance across a range of topics including “mutually respectful behaviour in relationships” after the last summer series prompted thousands of complaints to broadcasting watchdog Ofcom.
Many of the complaints related to “alleged misogynistic and bullying behaviour” by some islanders, although they were not upheld.
Made In Chelsea star Sam Thompson and Indiyah Polack, who was a finalist on the show last year, are joining as regular panellists on Love Island’s Aftersun programme.
The show has once again partnered with eBay as its series sponsor to help “fight against fast fashion” by stocking the islanders’ wardrobes with pre-loved clothing from the site.
In addition, this year features an “eBay chute” which will allow the contestants to return their clothes so they can be relisted on the website.
The bathrooms also boast a message from the breast cancer charity CoppaFeel reminding them to check their chest for lumps and bumps which could be a sign of the disease.
Love Island returns to ITV2 and ITVX at 9pm on Monday June 5.
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