How long do you give a show to hook you in, before you start flicking through the channels? Half an hour? A couple of episodes?

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Well, we have it on good authority that you should give the hotly anticipated Love Island: Australia at least a week. The series, which originally aired in 2018, is ITV2’s replacement for this summer’s UK Love Island, which was cancelled because of social distancing concerns.

Irish presenter Eoghan McDermott, who provides the show’s voiceover (aka the new Iain Stirling) warns that the Australian show is a slow burn initially, but soon turns into the dramatic rollercoaster we expect.

“This was our first series, I think this is the best one,” says Eoghan, talking exclusively to RadioTimes.com.

“I’m delighted ITV2 is showing it, my God it’s really good, but it does take a little while to get going. The first week was our very first time doing the show, we’re not that funny, our voice is a little uncertain and the delivery is a bit wibbly wobbly,” he admits about the Love Island repeat.

“And the islanders: everyone enters the villa and does nothing for a week! Just by their very nature the Aussies a bit more laid back than us and I do remember a couple of days into the show the producer had to go in, it wasn’t meddling, but he gave them a kick up the bum and said, “Guys you need to talk to each other or we’re not going to have a show! They were just happy to be there to sun their abs…”

Don’t worry though, Eoghan promises you’ll be rewarded if you stick with the series, there are lots of twists and turns once the show finds its feet. “The first week is a bit slow and then oh my God it explodes into life. They’re unhinged, the Aussies, it’s wild! The arguments, the tension, it’s all good value. There’s a girl called Erin who is a force of nature, plus Grant, Tayla and Cassidy get into this little love triangle and the series hangs on that, it’s unbelievable.”

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Love Island Australia starts tonight at 9pm on ITV2. To find out what else is on, check out our TV Guide.

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