Love Island 2024 ratings revealed with biggest launch in 2 years

Former The Only Way Is Essex star Joey Essex is joining the latest season, bringing his strong track record for reality competitions, which includes a fourth place finish on I'm a Celebrity 2013 and a runner-up rank in last year's Dancing on Ice.

ITV will be hoping this helps to further boost viewership for its lucrative reality series, which has seen its ratings slide in recent editions as various competing shows appear.

For now, though, Love Island 2024 is looking steady, posting a peak overnight rating of 2.2 million (and an average of 1.9 million watching across the whole 90-minute premiere).

The show remains popular with younger people, with ITV reporting that Love Island's premiere was the most popular programme of the day among the 16-34 age demographic, with approximately 400,000 tuning in.

Coming up tonight, the islanders will still be reeling from the sudden arrival of Joey Essex, with contestant Mimii Ngulube saying it "might be the biggest plot twist to happen on Love Island".

Later, she asks the reality star for his "top three" girls, but he declines to answer.

Essex explains: "My game plan is just to get to know everyone, really. I want to get to know all the girls on a personal level, and who I vibe with most."

Later, around the fire pit, he will decide which of the girls to "steal" from their current couple.

"It’s obviously been tough because I have got to know all of you girls on a nice level," he'll say.

"And, obviously, got to know all you boys on a cool level – I feel like we’re tight and we’re getting on well, but this is Love Island…"

Tune in tonight at 9pm to find out what happens.

Love Island airs Sunday to Friday on ITV2 and ITVX.

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