Everything you need to know about series eight of the ITV2 dating show.
Series seven of ITV’s Love Island might have only just wrapped up with Millie and Liam crowned as the Love Island 2021 winners, but it’s not quite over yet.
The Love Island 2021 contestants will be back together for the Love Island reunion show, where they’ll fill us in on their lives outside the villa, and we’ll get to find out if any of the Love Island contestants are still together, or if they called it quits the moment they got to the airport in Palma, Mallorca.
And there’s even more Love Island where that series came from, with the show confirmed to return for an eighth next year.
Host Laura Whitmore made the announcement during the Love Island 2021 final, as she directed fans of the show to the ITV website to apply to take part.
So, when is Love Island back? And what can we expect?
Here’s everything we know so far.
Love Island 2022 start date
An official start date hasn’t been confirmed just yet for the new series, but we can make some educated guesses based on previous years.
The summer series usually starts around the end of May and the beginning of June. The seventh series started much later than usual on Monday 28th June due to the pandemic, and finished much later as a result.
Provided all runs smoothly, we can expect the summer series to air around June 2022.
How long is Love Island on for?
Series seven went on for eight weeks, which is one of the longer length series of the ITV2 dating show. Previous series have lasted for about six weeks.
Will there be a winter series of Love Island in 2022?
!["Paige]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2020/02/love_island_sr6_3007-18b69f6-e1582628129257.jpg?quality=90&resize=603%2C413" "\"Paige")
The first winter series of the show took place in January 2020, and saw Paige and Finn take home the £50,000 cash prize after spending weeks in the South African villa.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, the series was canceled for 2021 and the 2020 summer series was also scrapped.
We previously spoke to ITV commissioner Amanda Stavri, who revealed the network were still undecided on another winter series.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Stavri said: “We haven’t made a decision yet. Now the focus is just on the summer and bringing it back at it’s best. And then we’ll sort of go from there I think.”
With the 2021 series now out of the way, could there be another winter version? We’ll be sure to keep you updated as soon as we know.
Who are the Love Island 2022 contestants?
It’s probably too early to say considering the applications just opened. The rumours will start rolling in as we get closer to the series airing, however, so we’ll keep you well informed about all the potential islanders and confirmed contestants list once we get it.
The 2021 series saw a Love Island first as ITV recruited Casa Amor contestant from Tinder. Car salesman Harry Young revealed the unusual way he was cast ahead of his introduction to the series, saying: “Obviously, COVID then hit so I haven’t had the chance to date. It was through Tinder that I signed up. Over the past year it was easier to start off an initial conversation online because pubs and clubs were closed.”
Love island also featured their first disabled contestant for the 2021 series. PE teacher Hugo Hammond, who has Talipes, which is where a baby has their feet pointed down and inwards at birth, took part in series seven.
ITV previously told us, however, that including gay contestants presented a logistical difficulty.
Who won Love Island 2021?
Series seven was won by Millie Court and Liam Reardon. They follow behind series six stars Paige and Finn, who won the first ever winter edition of the show.
A message from your winning couple Millie and Liam ???? #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/j9kHgKpoRB
— Love Island (@LoveIsland) August 23, 2021
How can you apply for Love Island?
Applications are now open for series eight.
If you wish to put yourself forward, fill out the official application form here.
Who hosts Love Island?
!["Laura]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/08/love_island_sr7_05-3e247eb.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"love-island-laura-whitmore-responds-criticism-newsupdate\"")
TV presenter Laura Whitmore has been the host of Love Island since January 2020, after taking over from the late Caroline Flack.
It’s expected she’ll reprise her role on the show next year, alongside her husband and Love Island narrator Iain Stirling.
Who is the Love Island narrator?
Comedian Iain Stirling has provided the voiceover for the ITV2 dating show since 2015. As well as being a comedian, Iain is a writer, television presenter, actor, narrator and Twitch streamer.
!["Love]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/08/Love-Island-narrator-Iain-stirling-5b2d0a1.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Love-Island-narrator-Iain-stirling\"")
Where is the Love Island villa?
For series seven, Love Island returned to the luxury villa in Mallorca where the show has taken place since 2019.
It is the second villa used in the series, replacing the initial location after series two, which was also in Mallorca. Both villas are in keeping with the rustic Spanish style, with a splash of modernist colour inside.
The winter series took place in sunny South Africa.
It’s expected the show will return to Mallorca for the next summer series, with ITV previously telling us: “Mallorca is its home.”
!["Love]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/05/love_island_sr6_the_villa_28-50a1723-9305d45.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"ITV-boss-love-island-2021-location-mallorca-exclusive-interview\"")
Love Island app
Throughout the series, viewers will be asked to vote via the Love Island app. They can also keep up to date with the latest from the show and have access to Love Island merch, including the iconic Love Island water bottle, which received a makeover for the 2021 series.
Love Island podcast
!["Kem]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2020/01/love-island-kem-cetinay-9d9f11e.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"ITV")
For those of you who just can’t get enough of the show and need your daytime fix, you can keep up with all the villa shenanigans via the Love Island: Morning After podcast hosted by former contestants Kem Cetinay and Arielle Free.
It’s not yet known whether the podcast will be back for series eight, but we’ll keep you updated once we know more information.
For anything else on the Love Island podcast, click the link.
Love Island will return to ITV2 in 2o22. In the meantime, check out our Entertainment hub for all the latest news, or find something to watch tonight with our TV Guide.