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Love Island is set to return in just two weeks time for another winter series for the first time in three years after it was first launched in 2020.
The summer series is filmed in a Mallorcan villa, which welcomes a group of sexy singletons hoping to find love by matching with another contestant.
However due to the unreliable weather during the Spanish winter, another location is chosen for the winter edition of the reality dating show.
Winter Love Island’s 2023 villa REVEALED: The new luxury eco-retreat boasts a giant pool and mountain views in a ‘protected area’ of Franschhoek wine valley – as series returns to South Africa after three years
Where is Love Island filmed this year?
Like the previous winter series, Love Island bosses will film the show in South Africa.
Sources recently told MailOnline that the eco-retreat is the ‘best villa’ yet, after they picked a new venue for the show to be filmed.
Work on the property is currently underway ahead of the series launch on ITV2 and ITVX next year, with show bosses making the safety of the Islanders their main priority after previous villas have seen intruders sneak in.
The supersized luxury villa boasts stunning mountain views and is nestled away in a ‘protected area’ in the heart of the Franschhoek wine valley in South Africa’s ‘millionaire row’.
Reigning champions: The debut winter series aired in January 2020 – shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic – and was won by Paige Turley and Finn Tapp. Plans for a second winter series were shelved in 2021 amid concerns surrounding the pandemic
With Winter Love Island not airing for three years show bosses have pulled out all the stops for the fresh batch of Islanders on their quest for love and romance.
The villa is the biggest one yet of all the series, boasting a giant pool and surrounded by palm trees and typically costs around £430 per night to stay in per room.
It is is also environmentally friendly, with the estate having 100 percent off-the-grid status which allows it to generate its own electricity, water and numerous food sources.
Where have previous series been filmed?
The debut winter series aired in January 2020 – shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic – and was won by Paige Turley and Finn Tapp.
The winters were based at a stunning villa in South Africa’s Cape Town, which was rumoured at the time to be rented for more than £100,000.
It was said to be rented out for R2 million per month, the equivalent of roughly £105,000 pcm for the four-month period including construction time.
Following renovations on the £5.3 million property, it included some of the show’s signature hotspots including the famous fire pit and day beds.
Plans for a second winter series were shelved in 2021 amid concerns surrounding the pandemic.
Back in 2019: The previous Winter Love Island villa featured all the familiar aspects such as a firepit, day bed and roof terrace
Paige and Finn said in the wake of the announcement: ‘Love Island enabled us to find love with someone that without the show, our paths would never have crossed.
‘We both found everything that we’d asked for in a partner in each other and we now live together in Manchester (we’ve been here for almost two years). We’ve got a new amazing group of friends and literally couldn’t imagine life without each other.’
Paul Mortimer, Director of Reality Commissioning and Controller, ITV2, said ‘Love Island has once again proved itself to be the nation’s favourite talking point across the summer, and we’re always blown away by the show’s ongoing impact and talkability amongst our younger audience.
‘So, rather than just serving up a Summer of Love, we thought we’d make 2023 the Year of Love with two full series of the show.’
Greenery: The supersized luxury eco-retreat boasts stunning mountain views and is nestled away in a ‘protected area’ in the heart of the Franschhoek wine valley
Incredible: The villa is the biggest one yet of all the series, boasting a giant pool and surrounded by palm trees. It is is also environmentally friendly, with the estate having 100 percent off-the-grid status which allows it to generate its own electricity
Wow: Work on the manor is currently underway ahead of the series launch next year, with ITV bosses making the safety of the Islanders their main priority after previous villas have seen intruders sneak in
Mike Spencer, Executive Producer at Lifted Entertainment, said ‘After eight brilliant series, we are excited to be serving up two helpings of love in 2023 by kicking off in January at a stunning new villa in South Africa.
‘We can look forward to more romances, bromances and everything in between as we embark on another epic year of love.’
It’s believed the stars of Love Island’s inaugural winter series lost £500,000 in ‘missed opportunities’, as the country went into lockdown shortly after they left the villa.
Unusual: The 2019 villa was a jaw-dropping sight thanks to a striking front made of white layered panels and a light wood finish to combat the searing heat
Jack Cooper of EdHopkinsPR revealed to Metro that stars missed key moneymaking moments which have previously bagged stars up to millions of pounds.
This series of Winter Love Island will also see a new host after Laura Whitmore stepped down from the show, with Maya Jama confirmed as her replacement last month.
Maya said in a statement: ‘I’ve always been such a massive Love Island fan and I’m so excited to be hosting one of the nation’s favourite shows! I can’t wait to get into the Villa to meet all of the Islanders.’
Laura announced in August this year that she was quitting the show and would not be returning to host the next series of the ITV2 dating show.
The Irish presenter, 37, joined back in 2020 and has hosted the hugely popular reality programme and its spin-off Aftersun for three series.
Laura – who is mother to a 17-month-old daughter with Love Island voiceover star Iain Sterling – took to her Instagram at the time to confirm she would be leaving, saying she has found flying back and forth from the villa ‘very difficult’.
The broadcaster’s stint on the ITV2 dating show received mixed reviews this season; some viewers praised her handling of sensitive topics, while others criticised her for ‘encouraging slut-shaming’ in a segment which sparked 427 Ofcom complaints.
Congratulations: While Winter Love Island was shelved amid the pandemic, the summer series aired this year with a whopping 3.4 million viewers tuning in to watch Ekin-Su Cülcüloglu and Davide Sanclimenti be crowned the 2022 winners
Laura replaced Caroline Flack as the presenter of Love Island when she stood down in December 2019. Caroline tragically took her own life aged 40 in February 2020.
In her statement, Laura said she was only planning to fill in for Caroline for one series, emotionally saying that she hope she did her late friend ‘proud’.
Taking to Instagram, Laura said: ‘Some news! I won’t be hosting the next series of Love island.
‘There are certain elements of the show I’ve found very difficult that cannot be changed some due to the format, including the flying back and forth to South Africa along with my new conflicting projects.
‘I wish it was still possible but know you’ll be in safe hands. I was only planning to fill in for Caroline for a series and it turned into 3 series. I hope I did you proud Caroline.’
Speaking of Laura’s exit, an ITV spokesperson said at the time: ‘Laura has been a fantastic host across the last three series of the show.
‘We are so grateful for everything she has brought to the programme but understand and respect her decision, and we look forward to working with her on upcoming ITV projects.’
Moving on: This series of Winter Love Island will also see a new host after Laura Whitmore stepped down from the show , with Maya Jama confirmed as her replacement last month
Get her in the villa! Maya said in a statement, ‘I’ve always been such a massive Love Island fan and I’m so excited to be hosting one of the nation’s favourite shows! I can’t wait to get into the Villa to meet all of the Islanders’
Maya has presenting experience on shows such as Walk the Line and Soccer Aid.
While Winter Love Island was shelved amid the pandemic, the summer series aired this year with a whopping 3.4 million viewers tuning in to watch Ekin-Su Cülcüloglu and Davide Sanclimenti be crowned the 2022 winners.
The couple finished ahead of Gemma Owen, 19, and Luca Bish, 23, who were awarded second place and narrowly missed out on the money, with bosses deciding to ditch the ‘split or steal’ twist that usually comes at the end for the first time in the history of the ITV2 show. Gemma and Luca have since split.
Who is Maya Jama?
Maya Jama, 28, is a presenter of Somali and Swedish descent.
Her parents named her after poet Maya Angelou because her mother read the famous poem, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, during her pregnancy.
Maya grew up in Bristol, along with her brother Omar, but moved to London aged 16 to pursue her broadcasting career.
Her father was in prison for most of her childhood, for violence-related crimes such as pub brawls and fights – she stopped speaking to him aged 12 but remains incredibly close to her mother.
Maya’s parents named her after poet Maya Angelou because her mother read the famous poem, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, during her pregnancy
She set up her own YouTube channel as well as landing a gig as a presenter for JumpOff TV.
Her first big gig was as the host of MTV’s The Wrap Up, before moving on to host MTV Essentials and MTV News.
She co-presented Trending Live! on 4Music from 2015 until 2017, Cannonball on ITV in 2017, the MTV show True Love or True Lies in 2018, and the first series of The Circle with Alice Levine on Channel 4.
In November 2017, she became the youngest person, then aged 23, to co-host the MOBO Awards on Channel 5 with fellow presenter Marvin Humes.
She became the team captain on ITV2 rap panel show Don’t Hate the Playaz presented by Jordan Stephens.
Maya has enjoyed a successful radio presenting career. She hosted #DriveWithMaya on Rinse FM from 2014 to 2017, and co-presented Radio 1’s Greatest Hits and presented her own show, Maya Jama on BBC Radio 1 from 2018 to 2020.
In 2020, she announced she was leaving BBC Radio 1, a station she has hosted on for two years.
Like twins: Maya pictured with her lookalike mother
In an Instagram post, she said at the time: My loveess, I’ve made the very difficult decision not to continue my Radio 1 contract from June.
‘As you know I have been juggling & There are a lot of exciting commitments happening that would mean I’m not able to dedicate the time needed to my weekly radio show.
Maya famously dated rapper Stormzy in 2016. They split three years later but remain friends.(pictured in June 2018)
‘I’ve loved every moment of my time at Radio 1 and I would like to thank the team for their hard work and friendship during the last two years. It’s been a JOURNEY.’
In September 2021, it was announced that Jama would be the host of Simon Cowell’s new music competition gameshow Walk The Line.
As far as her personal life goes, Maya famously dated rapper Stormzy in 2016. They split three years later but remain friends.
Stormzy seemed to address rumours he had strayed in his subsequent music releases – with his song Lessons said to be about the heartbreaking split and lyrics confessing that he had ‘done the dirt’ on the TV star.
However, the award-winning musician later revealed he hadn’t been unfaithful throughout his relationship but instead, admitted to showing ‘disrespect’ to his famous ex.
In August, she split from her fiancé Ben Simmons six months after getting engaged, due to long-distance.
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