Love Island is set to return to screens on Monday 6 June for its eighth season.
Among the first 11 contestants set to enter the show’s brand new villa include Michael Owen’s daughter Gemma Owen, and the series’ first deaf contestant, Natasha Ghouri.
Though the location of the show has moved to another luxury property in Majorca, Spain, many elements, including the presenter, will remain the same for the 2022 run.
Laura Whitmore will resume her position of host, while Iain Stirling will continue to provide the voiceovers.
Ahead of the show’s launch, Whitmore shared her excitement about the new season.
According to the presenter, a particularly exciting aspect is having the chance to get to know the new Majorcan villa.
“The villa last year, I was never allowed inside because of Covid,” she explained.
“The previous series I had been in South Africa. So I didn’t really know the previous villa in Mallorca. So it’s quite nice to go in with a fresh villa.”
Along with visiting the villa and speaking to the contestants in person, Whitmore will also host the companion show, Love Island: Aftersun, on Sunday evenings.
“I love speaking to the friends and family,” she mused. “There’s so much to unpack from each episode.
“I love talking to the Islanders after they come out. You could easily talk to them all for half an hour at least.”
Speaking about adaptations to the programme now that restrictions have been lifted, the host continued: “We’ve got a bigger studio audience than last year due to restrictions being lifted.
“I think that will really help the islanders when they come back too to see the support that they have.”
As announced by ITV, the islanders will take part in preparation measures ahead of the show, which will aim to help them deal with the attention they’ll receive while on the show and beyond.
As well as this, islanders will undergo coaching relating to inclusive language around disability, sexuality, race and ethnicity.
