ROARING up to the villa in a black Lamborghini, Maya Jama will tonight launch this year’s Love Island.
And as she introduces the 12 sizzling new singles, show boss Mike Spencer is hoping they will go all the way — just like couples did in the villa’s early days.
And as she introduces the 12 sizzling new singles, show boss Mike Spencer is hoping they will go all the way — just like couples did in the villa’s early days.
The show’s 11th series will have extra beds as well as more opportunities to sneak off for sex — and executive producer Mike reckons he will be performing a public service if there are more steamy romps than there have been in recent years.
He said: “Love Island should demonstrate what a relationship is like and what dating is like.
“We’ve got an audience of young people so I think it is an education.
“It’s seriously important for people to watch the show and know people aren’t perfect — none of us are.”
The relatively chaste scenes in the past few series of the ITV ratings winner are in stark contrast to horny couples going at it non-stop when the dating show was just starting out.
‘It’s going to be chaos’
In 2016, Zara Holland performed a sex act on one lad, leading to the Miss Great Britain counsel stripping the beauty queen of her crown, while Emma Woodhams and Terry Walsh shocked viewers by having sex on top of the covers in the bedroom they shared with their housemates.
Amber Davies romped on a lilo in the pool with Kem Cetinay— and she wasn’t ashamed of discussing it after they won in 2017.
She said: “It was true that we had sex in the house more than any couple. Why not?
“If you fancy someone and you’ve got that sexual chemistry, it’s a natural thing.”
By 2021, the girls were more coy when speaking to each other about their exploits, talking in a bizarre code based on the National Vocational Qualification levels.
They started on Entry Level NVQ — meaning snogging — leading up to NVQ3 for full sexual intercourse.
But a string of changes to this year’s villa could finally bring back a more sexually open Love Island.
The Hideaway, a private room that used to be open only as a prize for winning a task or on invitation, will now be available 24/7 to any couples who fancy checking in.
And in an even more spicy twist, Islanders can even use it if they’re not officially coupled up.
Mike said: “It’s now no invite needed — so it could be the sexiest series ever.
“Even if you are in a couple, you could technically go in with someone else. It’s going to be chaos.
“We’re up for anything — we’re up for changes.
“The idea is that it’s going to be organic and natural.”
So could more than just two Islanders use the Hideaway?
Mike laughed and joked: “We’re on throuple island! The format is still the same — couples.
“But we don’t want to tie ourselves into anything. It’s a free space.”
Another new element of the villa is a special room upstairs filled with extra beds — providing even more private spaces for naughtiness.
Mike said: “It’s all about options this year.
“I think we got into a bit of a repetitive pattern about how we were shooting the Hideaway — people dressed up, they came out — but I think it might be time for a change.”
If it sounds like Mike and his team — many of whom have worked on the series from day one — are hankering for the sexually liberated scenes of early Love Island, you’re not wrong.
He added wistfully: “Series one and two will always be amazing in my eyes. It was so fun.
“But over the years it has to evolve. Everything evolves.”
Love Island’s evolution from young, free and single to safe and settled came as thousands of viewers hit out at alleged bullying and misogynistic behaviour on the show.
Faye Winter yelling at Teddy Soares over his attraction to bombshell Clarisse Juliette in 2021 attracted 25,000 complaints — a show record.
And the following year, Luca Bish and Dami Hope were branded gaslighters for their treatment of women.
But TV regulator Ofcom rejected both complaints — and Mike said: “Labelling people is very heavy. Is it coercive control or are you just a little bit full-on?
“There’s a clear definition and I think a lot of people in Love Island are just going through relationships.”
Tonight we’ll see how the new breed of Islanders fare as they follow host Maya Jama, 29, into the TV villa.
They’re older than usual, with slightly more mature cast members such as Patsy Field, 29, Munveer Jabbal, 30, and Ronnie Vint, 27.
And as always, a raft of spicy singles are waiting to be called on as late arrivals — known as “bombshells”.
But this time there won’t be any Island legends coming back for a second spell, like Adam Collard and Kady McDermott did.
Mike said: “There’s some great bombshells coming in.
“I don’t want to hype it up too much but they are so good.”
And he promises that producers have delved into the new Islanders’ pasts to deliver maximum drama.
Mike added: “The casting team are like secret agents. They know everything about them.
“So I think we would never rule out bringing in exes because it’s part of the relationship process.”
- Love Island begins tonight at 9pm on ITV1, ITV2 and ITVX.
