WINTER WARMER
LAURA WHITMORE IS OUR HOST AS THE DATING SHOW TEMPORARILY RELOCATES TO SOUTH AFRICA…
It’s official: Love Island is now such a bona-fide megahit that we’re getting two series a year – hooray! Since it’s a bit too chilly for sunbeds in Mallorca at this time of year, the winter series will take place in the sunnier climes of Cape Town, and with Caroline Flack having stood down as the host of the upcoming series, Laura Whitmore will be overseeing the singles…
“I’m super-excited – it’s the biggest and best TV show!” enthuses Laura. “Normally I’m sitting on my sofa watching it – which
I’ll still be doing when I’m not out in South Africa – but I’m so glad to be involved, and being in a different location this year will bring a new side to things. I’m really looking forward to working with the team, plus I can’t wait to meet the Islanders!”
Not only is Laura a big fan of the show, she also has some decent matchmaking credentials on her CV…
“I worked with my best girl friend, Alex, on a show in 2012 around the Olympics called Beat TV on ITV2. I fronted the UK show and she was the host for Switzerland. She used to come over and do links in our studio. We had a drinks thing, and I brought along my best guy friend, Greg. It took a few years, but now they’re engaged, with a baby, who’s my godchild. I made it happen – that baby is my work, ha!”
The world of Love Island is also familiar to Laura for another reason – her partner is the show’s voiceover man, Iain Stirling.
“I couldn’t possibly let him go out there and have fun without me!” she grins. “I’ve always said that he’s one of the best things about the show. He’s brilliant, the show is the way it is because of him, and I feel so lucky to now be a part of it, too.”