Love Island All Stars will finally return to screens tonight, Thursday, January 15, at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX, following delays caused by wildfires in South Africa. The broadcaster confirmed the revised launch date after production was halted due to safety concerns over local blazes near the filming location in Franschhoek.
ITV had initially postponed the scheduled Monday premiere, stating that health and safety was the priority. A spokesperson said: 'Further to a production evacuation owing to ongoing wildfires in the area, our assessment of the location site has concluded that filming will need to be postponed.'
In addition to the launch, ITV announced an extra full-length episode on Saturday, January 17, at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX, a first in Love Island's broadcasting history. Presenter Maya Jama shared the news on Instagram, saying: 'I can officially announce exclusively that we are back up and running.'
The wildfires caused significant disruption, with ITV reportedly losing £15,000 per hour of delay. The villa rental costs £9,000 per night, and crew continued to be paid while staying in nearby hotels. A source told the Mirror: 'It's a nightmare. Safety is priority though and they have plans in place for such situations.'
