The highly anticipated launch of Love Island All Stars has been thrown into disarray after raging wildfires in South Africa forced an emergency evacuation of the production site, postponing crucial filming just days before the show is due to air.
Production Halted as Flames Threaten Villa
Filming for the third series of the celebrity reality show was scheduled to commence on Saturday, 10th January 2026, with returning Islanders like Millie Court, Shaq Muhammad, and Whitney Adebayo expected to enter the iconic villa. However, plans were brought to a grinding halt when wildfires, fanned by strong winds and high temperatures, caused a road closure on the route to the villa's location.
As a precautionary measure, ITV bosses made the decision to evacuate the entire production site and postpone the filming for the launch episode. A spokesperson for Love Island confirmed the move, stating the evacuation was due to "an ongoing wild fire in the area."
A Logistical 'Nightmare' for Show Crew
The timing of the incident could not be worse, with the launch show, hosted by Maya Jama, still slated to air on ITV2 on Monday evening. A source exclusively revealed to the Mirror that the situation is a "nightmare," leaving the team "scrambling" to arrange alternatives on what is already the most logistically challenging day, known as the 'get in' day.
"They need to make sure everything is running on time and that the islanders don't get a glimpse of each other before arriving at the villa," the source explained. "The filming for their arrivals and meetings takes hours. Safety is the priority though."
The delay has a significant knock-on effect for the post-production team, who will now have half the usual time to edit Monday night's premiere episode.
Fire Services Battle 'Out of Control' Blazes
The wildfires have impacted South Africa's Western and Eastern Cape regions. While fire services reported some progress overnight on Friday, 9th January, fires in the Langrug and Franschhoek areas of the Boland were still described as burning 'out of control'.
Cape Winelands District Municipality’s Fire Services told SABC News that a military flight was planned to assess the fire's full extent and direction. They confirmed an active fire line of approximately 2 km in Stormsvlei, with fresh ground teams deployed. A separate fire at De Wet Cellar in Worcester has been contained, with no injuries or infrastructure damage reported from any of the incidents so far.
With the clock ticking until Monday's broadcast, the Love Island production team faces a race against time to ensure the All Stars series gets off to a smooth start, despite the fiery drama unfolding off-screen.
