Love Island: ITV2 series won’t return until 2021

Image copyright Shutterstock Image caption Amber Gill, Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague starred in the 2019 series of Love Island

Love Island will not broadcast a summer series this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The reality show will instead return in 2021, ITV confirmed on Monday.

Kevin Lygo, director of television at ITV said: “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.”

He added: “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.

“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.”

The cancellation of this year’s summer edition of Love Island will be a big disappointment to its viewers. The programme is TV’s most popular show for younger adults.

The loss of that audience will also be a huge financial blow to ITV. The show’s ability to deliver those younger viewers has made it immensely valuable to advertisers.

And that financial loss, estimated at tens of millions of pounds, will extend to the other lucrative deals it usually strikes with around a dozen other commercial partners for everything from programme sponsorship to product placement.

But perhaps the most significant impact will be the loss of such a popular piece of escapism at a time that many will feel that they need it the most.

Love Island is the most successful programme in ITV2’s history.

More than six million viewers watched the launch of last summer’s series, which was eventually won by Amber Gill and Greg O’Shea.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Paige Turley and Finley Tapp won the first winter series of Love Island earlier this year

The dating show sees contestants secluded in a villa in Spain, hoping to find romance. The winning couple receives £50,000.

The show, a revival of an earlier series of the same name which aired for two series back in 2005 and 2006, has been broadcast every summer since 2015.

Earlier this year it launched an additional winter series, which was won by Finley Tapp and Paige Turley.

Laura Whitmore was set to return to host Love Island this summer having presented the winter edition.

Former presenter Caroline Flack died earlier this year.

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