ITV's highly anticipated return of Love Island All Stars has been plunged into chaos just days before its premiere, after raging wildfires in South Africa forced the production team to evacuate the villa and postpone filming.
Production Scrambles After 'Nightmare' Wildfire Disruption
The Mirror can exclusively reveal that the show's bosses have been left dealing with a logistical 'nightmare'. Filming for the third All Stars series, which was scheduled to commence on Saturday, January 10th, was brought to a grinding halt. A significant wildfire near the villa in South Africa's Western Cape led to a critical road closure, preventing access and forcing the immediate evacuation of the entire production site as a safety precaution.
This unexpected crisis has sent the team 'scrambling' to find alternative solutions. The disruption comes on the crucial 'get in' day, a period of intense logistical preparation where crews ensure everything is perfectly timed and the returning Islanders, including fan favourites like Millie Court, Shaq Muhammad, and Whitney Adebayo, are kept apart before their dramatic entrances.
Race Against Time for Monday's Launch Show
The delay has created a severe time crunch for the show's tight schedule. The launch episode, presented by Maya Jama, is still slated to air on Monday evening on ITV2. However, with filming postponed, the editing team now faces the immense pressure of having half their usual time to assemble and polish the first episode for broadcast.
A source close to the production told the Mirror: "It's a nightmare. It's left the team scrambling to arrange alternative options... Safety is priority though and they have plans in place for such situations. But not ideal given the show hasn't even begun." They confirmed the severe impact on post-production, stating the edit team's timeframe has been drastically cut.
Fire Services Battle 'Out of Control' Blazes
The wildfires have been sweeping across parts of South Africa's Western and Eastern Cape, fuelled by strong winds and high temperatures. While fire services reported making progress in some areas by Friday, January 9th, fires in the Langrug and Franschhoek areas of the Boland region were still described as burning 'out of control'.
A spokesperson for the Cape Winelands District Municipality’s Fire Services informed SABC News that a military flight was planned to assess the full extent and direction of the fire. They confirmed an active fire line of approximately 2 km in Stormsvlei, with fresh ground teams deployed. Fortunately, they reported that a separate fire at De Wet Cellar in Worcester had been contained, with no damage to infrastructure or injuries.
An official spokesperson for Love Island stated: "Owing to an ongoing wild fire in the area, we have evacuated the Love Island production site as a precautionary measure." The production now faces a frantic race against the clock to ensure the show's launch goes ahead without a hitch, despite the dramatic and unforeseen start off-screen.
