WHY LOVE ISLAND WILL WOW THE NATION
On the face of it the show that throws together hunks in trunks and babes in bikinis is just yet another disposable reality series but in fact it offers a compelling insight into infatuation and romance
PACK a bevy of beautiful young things off to a sunsoaked Mediterranean villa, light the fuse and retreat. That is the approach of the producers of Love Island. With its mix of bikinis, six-packs and sexy antics the show became last summer’s guilty pleasure.
Despite being tucked away on ITV2 the reality show was a surprise word-of-mouth hit attracting almost three million viewers for the finale. It even won a Bafta. So the good news for its legions of fans is that the programme is back in all its spray-tan, pouty lip and fake eyelash glory.
A new cast is heading for Mallorca to ensure that the football World Cup in Russia will not be the only overseas event to have us glued to our screens over the next few weeks.
Presented by Caroline Flack with background commentary from comedian Iain Stirling it is billed by ITV as “a host of sexy singles in the sunshine enjoying the holiday of a lifetime”. Think Big Brother transplanted from Borehamwood to the Balearics and you will begin to understand the appeal of Love Island. But it’s not a new format.
The original version featuring celebrities began airing on ITV in 2005 and starred Calum Best, son of Manchester United great George, and former glamour model Abi Titmuss. In its current guise Love Island is about to start series four but has been a slow-burner. It was only last year that the show captured the popular imagination and doubled its audience.
However putting a finger on why it has taken off involves more than citing the obvious attraction of watching gorgeous singletons frolic in the sun. “The idyllic setting helps to entice viewers,” reveals Honey Langcaster-James, who was the psychologist for the first series.
“We all want to be on holiday and the next best thing is watching others sitting around in their swimwear, drinking cocktails. Watching Love Island brightens up your day and offers a level of escapism that a studio show may not be able to provide.
“But a large part of the appeal is social psychology – we are always fascinated by love and relationships.”
Contestants on Love Island are encouraged to “couple up”, then voted off the show in pairs with the last couple standing winning £50,000. To spice up matters new islanders can be thrown in without warning and last year a second villa was introduced. Part of the show’s appeal lies in trying to work out which couples are genuine lovers and which are just conspiring together to win.
It is claimed that Love Island creates a feelgood factor because we have had enough of watching people being endlessly nasty to one another. Love Island’s commissioning editor Amanda Stavri has said that the key to the show’s success is that “it’s warm, it’s got heart and it isn’t mean”.
IN LOVE Island the contestants are generally (but not always) supportive in a Great British Bake Off sort of way. Langcaster-James adds: “There is a misperception that reality show viewers like to see people arguing and falling out all the time.
“While that does make for gripping TV what they actually enjoy most is seeing challenges overcome and people resolving their differences. They also love to see romance and people getting on with one another.”
That said none of the previous three winning couples are now together. Last year’s triumphant pair, Kem Cetinay, 22, and Amber Davies, 21, dated for a while outside the villa but eventually split blaming “work schedules”. Advertising and other deals signed by the winning couple after the show are collectively said to be worth
£1.25million so that would have helped soften the blow.
For others who have appeared on Love Island it has been the pathway to reality shows including The Only Way Is Essex and Ex On the Beach. There is also one Love Island engagement so far and a Love Island baby.
Credit must also go to ITV2 for ensuring that the reality show always features plenty of twists and turns. Episodes are not planned too far in advance, allowing those who are pulling the strings behind the cameras to react to what has been happening in the villa.
The broadcaster struck a deal last year with Primark to sell T-shirts while Love Island is also plastered all over social media. Contestants are provided with mobile phones and encouraged to post their selfies on Instagram. And did we mention all the sex? In 2016 Zara Holland, then 20, was stripped of her Miss Great Britain title after a romp in the Love Island villa, which is equipped with only double beds and 69 cameras – so absolutely nothing escapes notice. The “scandal” did viewing figures no harm at all. The 2018 cast includes a doctor, a boyband
member, a stage performer, the daughter of EastEnders actor Danny Dyer and a flight attendant who is on the hunt for boyfriend number 10.
This year’s hopefuls have been whittled down from a list of 80,000 applicants. All the contestants are under 30 and are drop-dead-gorgeous. Another feature of Love Island, which is scheduled to run for seven weeks (that is almost twice the duration of the World Cup), is its ability to appeal to different generations.
Casting aside his hardman act singer Liam Gallagher is a self-confessed devotee, preferring to tune in to island antics than watch acts at Glastonbury last year. Gallagher admitted: “I’ve gone to the dark side and Love Island it is.”
There are reports of daughters watching with their mums and of middle-aged couples being secretly hooked. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn didn’t own up to being a fan but urged viewers to vote for Marcel last year. In short Love Island has become essential viewing or you risk being left out of conversations.
“It has become the programme that everyone is talking about even if they don’t actually watch it or admit to watching it,” says PR guru Mark Borkowski. “I was at a barbecue at the weekend that was full of 50-somethings who know about the show through their kids. It was astonishing.”
THE big question now is whether this season’s show, known affectionately as LI18, can live up to all the hype. Mark adds: “Everyone loves a holiday romance and last year they managed to assemble a really powerful cast, which built up a big social media following.
“The programme is also very skilfully edited but much will depend on the personalities of the contestants. All these reality shows are like bright fireworks – they have their moment then fade.”
However with the programme makers bound to have a few new tricks up their sleeves expect more pyrotechnics from Love Island before the sun sets on this unmissable reality show.
Love Island starts on ITV2 at 9pm on Monday.