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Production halted as wildfires force villa evacuation
ITV has postponed the premiere of Love Island: All Stars after wildfires near the show's South African filming location prompted an emergency evacuation of the villa.
The third series of the dating show spin-off, originally set to air on Monday, will now debut at an unconfirmed later date, the broadcaster announced on Sunday.
Safety concerns take priority
In a statement shared on the show's Instagram page, ITV emphasized that "health and safety is our greatest priority and will always come first." No details were provided about when filming might resume.
Wildfires disrupt Western Cape
South Africa's state broadcaster SABC reported on Saturday that authorities, including the South African Air Force, were battling multiple fire-related incidents in the Western Cape province, where the Love Island villa is situated.
Show format and cast revealed
Love Island: All Stars follows the same format as the original series, featuring returning contestants competing for love. This year's lineup includes 12 former participants, among them two past winners: Jess Harding, 25, and Millie Court, 29.
Other confirmed contestants are Belle Hassan, 27; Charlie Frederick, 31; Ciaran Davies, 23; Helena Ford, 29; Jack Keating, 26 (son of Irish singer Ronan Keating); Leanne Amaning, 28; Sean Stone, 26; Shaq Muhammad, 27; Tommy Bradley, 22; and Whitney Adebayo, 28.
The series will be hosted by Maya Jama.
Recent controversies and viewership trends
Last summer's 12th series of the original Love Island drew 2.6 million viewers for its premiere episode, with ITV reporting a 9% year-on-year increase in streams on its subscription platform, ITVX.
However, the show faced backlash after more than 14,000 complaints were lodged with media regulator Ofcom, alleging bullying, abusive behavior, and misogyny-particularly among some female contestants. Ofcom declined to investigate, stating the negative behavior was not portrayed positively and aligned with audience expectations.
In response, ITV highlighted that contestants receive pre-show training on "mutually respectful behavior in relationships" and "behavior patterns associated with controlling and coercive behavior."
