Love Island is set to welcome a new group of sexy singletons into the Mallorcan villa in early summer 2021, reports claim.
Love Island bosses have been given the go-ahead to start the casting process for the show in January, reports claim.
The popular ITV dating show was cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but reports say the telly chiefs are “more determined than ever” to revive the series for next year.
This means casting crew will be on the lookout for singletons to enter the villa in May, with their usual stunning villa in Majorca being the preferred option for a location.
A source said: “Reality shows can now have huge casts living together as long as all participants and crew have isolated for two full weeks beforehand, as well as having regular temperature testing both on and off-set.
“Obviously there’s always an element of risk but ITV bosses feel it’s time to get the Love Island cogs turning, with a view to it being made in early summer,” they continued to The Sun Online.
OK! online has contacted Love Island for comment.
It comes after ITV bosses were forced to pull the plug on a Love Island series this summer and in early 2021 for the winter edition amid the pandemic.
But, fans were assured the show would come back “stronger than ever in 2021”.
Kevin Lygo, Director of Television at ITV, said at the time: “We have tried every which way to make Love Island this summer but logistically it’s just not possible to produce it in a way that safeguards the wellbeing of everyone involved and that for us is the priority.
“In normal circumstances we would be preparing very soon to travel out to the location in Mallorca to get the villa ready but clearly that’s now out of the question.https://get-latest.convrse.media/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ok.co.uk%2Ftv%2Freality%2Flove-island-casting-2021-apply-22975877%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR28XRQGy5SP6AD_Xq63Uf2QxHiwl-uSbIkmyYwItgUUnEuyynTeP2SwTng&cre=bottom&cip=18&view=web
“We are very sorry for fans of the show but making it safely is our prime concern and Love Island will be back stronger than ever in 2021. In the meantime Love Island fans can still enjoy all six series of Love Island on BritBox.”
Meanwhile Laura Whitmore, who took over as host of the show from the late Caroline Flack, revealed there had been “more applications than ever” to join the series.
She tweeted: “Like with a lot of things because of restrictions with travel, social distancing and unable to plan ahead, Love Island is postponed until 2021.
“Great news is that there have been more applications then any other series! Next year is going to be BIG. Stay safe.”
The first winter series took place in a villa in South Africa earlier this year, with Paige Turley and Finn Tapp being crowned the winners.
*Article from OK! Magazine. Picture courtesy ITV.