Love Island fans, rejoice! ITV has now confirmed when the summer staple reality show will be returning to our screens.
In a Tweet, the official Love Island account let fans of the hit ITV series know when to expect the eighth series to land. It read: "Here's your first hot date of the summer #LoveIsland is back Monday 6th June on @itv2 and @itvhub!"
Now that the official start date of Love Island has been revealed, fans are starting to get excited about spending hours living vicariously through the desperate singles on the hunt for love under the scorching Spanish sun. But this year's series will look a little different to the editions that came before it.
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The changes
It was rumoured for some time that ITV bosses were on the hunt for a gorgeous new villa to whisk this year's cohort of singletons out to, and the producers of the show finally confirmed the news in a statement released back in February. The statement read: "The ultimate Summer of Love is on the horizon as Love Island makes it's long-awaited return, direct from a brand new villa in Mallorca.
"Applications are currently open for singletons looking for a long, hot summer…"
For some time before the announcement, rumours had been circulating that the Love Island villa in Sant Llorenç des Cardassar, in the north-east of Mallorca, was set to be axed. The new villa, a six-bedroom mansion complete with a swimming pool, outdoor kitchen, and firepit, is only just nearing completion, according to MailOnline.
This year's recruitment process underwent some changes. For the first time in Love Island history, the application process was changed to allow non-binary people to put their names forward for the programme.
The new form allowed people to choose their gender from one of the following options:
- Male
- Female
- Non-binary
- Prefer not to say
- Prefer to self-describe
The sexual orientation section of the form allowed prospective applicants five options:
- Straight
- Gay
- Lesbian
- Bisexual
- Other
Before the shake up, ITV bosses had struggled to find a way of including gay couples on the show. Kevin Lygo, who is the director of television, previously told The Mirror: "Love Island is a particular thing, of course, it’s about boys and girls coupling up,.
"So if you wanted to do a gay version, or you wanted to widen it, it is discussed and we haven’t yet found a way that would make it suitable for that show."
The rumoured contestants
Andreas Beel
One of 2022's possible Love Island contestants is Andreas Jon Beel, who boasts 10,000 Instagram followers already. Andreas works as a model, and has signed with agencies in Manchester and Portugal.
Toby Bougouneau
Toby is yet another model said to be on the cards for the eighth series of Love Island. Toby, who lives in Manchester, currently has just under 6,000 followers on Instagram.
Zoe Diana Parker
It could be the year of the models, it seems, as Indonesian-English model Zoe Diana Parker is another rumoured contestant. Zoe, who has documented her enviable travels from Bali to Las Vegas on her Instagram page, is signed to agencies in Manchester, London, Stockholm, Munich, and New York.
Joel Kell
Reality show junkies may recognise Joel Kell, who is anticipated to be entering the villa over the Jubilee weekend. As part of a rumoured line-up which is gaining traction on TikTok, Joel appears to be a familiar face to fans of Love In The Flesh, who claim they saw him on the show.
Isabelle Colclough
Boasting almost 6,000 followers, Isabelle Colclough appears to live in Manchester. Not much is known about her so far, but she appears to enjoy nights out with her friends.
Josh Mather
Josh Mather, who has recently been holidaying in Thailand, is a very multi-faceted potential contestant. Not only does Josh, who has 37,000 Instagram followers, work as an online fitness coach, but he has his own motor business, and works as a barber.
Gemma Owen
19-year-old Gemma Owen, the daughter of striker star Michael Owen, is another name that has been mentioned a lot in terms of potential contestants. However, Gemma, who owns a swimwear brand and is an international horse rider for Great Britain, shut down Love Island rumours a few months ago - unless it's all a cover-up, of course.
Jordan Spencer
27-year-old London Lions player Jordan Spencer is also expected by fans to be entering the Love Island villa. The basketball player, who is said to be 6ft 2in, is from Milton Keynes.
Joshua Leygrove
Anticipated to be 'this year's Tommy Fury', Joshua Leygrove is a model and boxer who is said to be appearing on this year's series of Love Island. Joshua started boxing at a young age, and has travelled the world to model with various brands, including ASOS and JD Sports.
Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu
Already an influencer in her own right with 350,000 followers, Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu is an actor who divides her time between London and Istanbul. Ekin-Su, who already has a strong celebrity following, including TOWIE stars Pete Wicks and James Lock, starred in Turkish TV drama Kuzey Yildizi.
Brad McDermott
If Gemma Owen does enter the villa this year, she will not be the only celebrity relative on Love Island, as Zara McDermott's brother Brad is also rumoured to be appearing on the show this summer. Zara appeared in the show herself back in 2018, and has since landed plenty of roles in the world of television presenting.
Speaking to The Sun, an insider said: "Brad is a young, good-looking guy, and he has seen how appearing on Love Island has completely transformed Zara’s life. Though she didn’t find long-term love, it has served as a great platform for her. She also had a great time there, and he thinks it would be a great laugh.”
Sophie Draper
22-year-old beautician Sophie Draper may also be appearing on the upcoming series of Love Island. Sophie, who has been linked to Aston Villa player Matty Cash, already seems to live an enviable Instagram life, boasting 21,000 followers on the app, where she posts snaps of her holidays in Dubai and weekend meals with friends.
