ITV boss hints Love Island 2021 could be filmed in the UK
Love Island could follow in the footsteps of I'm A Celeb.
ITV boss Kevin Lygo has hinted Love Island 2021 could be held in the UK, if the coronavirus pandemic remains a prominent threat.
The hit reality series had to call off its summer edition as lockdown measures remained too stringent, with ITV2 airing a re-run of the Australian version of the competition in its place.
The show is aiming to return in 2021, but Lygo isn't ruling out quarantining contestants or changing the location where it is typically held.
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press at the Edinburgh TV Festival, he said: "It’s a long way away, and we hope we’ll be back. They are making it [Love Island] you know, they’re shooting it now in America, they do it in Las Vegas, and there are ways, you know, you isolate people beforehand and all the rest of it.
"At this stage, it’s a long way away, it’s eight, nine months away, and we will proceed on the basis that we’re going to do it. If we couldn’t do it in Mallorca, well, maybe we’ll have to do like we’ve done with I’m A Celebrity: find a new place to do it or something, because then it would have been off a long time, and that would be a shame.
"We need it, and we are assuming it will return."
In a surprise change to the usual format, I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! will not return to its usual home in the Australian jungle as travel restrictions remain in place across the country.
Instead, this year's series will be set in Gwrych Castle in North Wales, with Ant and Dec returning to oversee the celebrity's gruelling challenges.
If Love Island were to opt for a similarly homegrown series, it's unclear whereabouts in the UK it would relocate to, but any location would be at the mercy of the unpredictable Great British weather.
In the meantime, Love Island USA will begin airing on ITV2 in September, which should be enough to tide fans over until the UK version returns.
Love Island 2021 will be presented by Laura Whitmore, who had been a close friend to the late Caroline Flack.
Love Island returns to ITV2 next year. If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
