Inside the Love Island villa - new look and groundbreaking launch uncovered

Love Island is back and so is its iconic Majorcan villa - and it's more glamorous, more secretive and surprisingly, more green than ever before. And that's not all that's different this year.
On a tour around the palatial pad, executive producer Mike Spence - who has been at the helm for the last ten years - tells us the crew have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure this season is one of the most talked about ever.
Mike says: "We're going to give it all we've got. What we have planned for week one has never been done before on any Love Island series ever."
Speculation has been rife that a former islander is returning following the drama caused by the jaw-dropping arrival of TOWIE'S Joey Essex during last year's launch. However, Mike confirms the producers have a bombshell of an entirely different making ready and waiting in the wings.
"We have a huge week one planned. It's hard to say what we're doing without saying it and I just hope we can pull it off. The way the islanders are coupled up is different too, we've never done it this way before."
Squashing a number of rumours about who an early bombshell might be, Mike told us: "Last year I told you something big was happening and we had Joey. This year Joey Essex is not back!
"I read Ella Rae Wise [from this year's Celebrity Big Brother] is coming in. She's not. We've not spoken to her Princess Andre either - how old is she? You have to be over 18 to apply. I can confirm we haven't spoken to her though!"
Controversial rapper Kanye West and his wife Bianca Censori have also been spotted in Majorca in recent weeks but Mike jokes they aren't high on the list either. "Has Bianca got much chat? I've only ever seen her. To be on Love Island you need to have good chat," he insists. "Who I would have liked to have and who was here on a yacht recently, and is always welcome - Kylie Jenner. Or Kendall! We would take either of them.
"[When I saw the photos of Kylie] I thought do we reach out to them and say. 'Do you want a coffee?' I hear Kim is a big fan too. Margot Robbie we'd love to come in. She's amazing and a huge fan. We've spoken to her loads and she's appeared on AfterSun."
While the producers have a list of fireworks ready to throw in the villa, one person who isn't in the know is host Maya Jama. "We still don't tell Maya what's going on," says Mike. She's knows some of the first week stuff...mostly because we went out last night! And she got it out of me! It's a lot for her to know. We try and be as secretive as possible. There are things in place, like Joey Essex going in last year, to make things happen. Maya didn't know about Joey. It was like a military operation, we were all in a room with the blinds shut plotting."
One thing Maya has prepared for though, is her stylish wardrobe which she tells us will be a homage to some iconic fashion moments from the 90s.
Maya says: "I can reveal that we're doing archive, vintage 90s runway inspired. The dress I'm wearing now is Versace. The clothes are all vintage archives that my stylists have been hunting down for the last few months. It's stuff that I can't rip or ruin because it has to go back. It's going to be very vintage and everything will have a runway or catalogue reference which is really fun. People message me sometimes on social media asking where to get things. Now I'll say, "you can actually rent this same dress!"
"I always think everyone watches the first episode. So that has to be the most special [look]. I like a long floaty dress in the daytime, or something crochet. And maybe I'll be back in the night I do usually do that."
After spending a week away with Manchester City beau Ruben Dias on the Amalfi Coast, Maya is ready to plunge head first into work mode. "I'm going to be back and forth [from Spain] this year," she tells us. "It's just been announced that I'm in The Gentleman so we'll be doing bits of that." This week it was confirmed that Maya has landed a part in the new series of the Guy Ritchie led Netflix crime drama which she will be working on simultaneously.
But for now, she's ready to welcome the new batch of islanders. "I've told everyone I feel like I'm going back to school again. I say that every time the show starts. It's a new school year and we're getting some new students," she says.
Before the class of 2025 prepare to get their graft on, producer Mike who has seen it all since the show first returned in 2015 reveals the pep talk he gives the islanders before making their mark.
'I say to everyone, see Love Island as a once in a lifetime experience. And if you are happy with that then that's brilliant. You should manage your own expectations.
"We're not going to say 'You're going to come in this villa, fall in love, be the biggest success story earn 25 billion pounds and life will be great', because you could come in here for a very short amount of time and go back to your normal job. You need to be fine with that. Every islander that goes in now has seen 12 series and two All Stars to gage what happens. They just have to play the game, fall in love and see what happens."
And as the show celebrates ten years on air, Mike says the UK's biggest dating show has no plans to settle down anytime soon.
"You can't rest on your laurels and think this is popular people love Love Island. We have to keep it exciting. We have the best team they are so good at what they do. This year we thought through every aspect, not tear up the rule book… but also let's tear up the rule book!
"The show will continue to thrive. We the producers need to stay ahead of the curve. The whole 'twists and turns' thing is about making the show fresh. This year we have a jaw-dropping cast and killer bombshells coming in.
"When we sat down at the start of the year we had a discussion on how to do love island this year - every aspect of the show, lets look at it and see how we can improve it and make it more exciting to the viewer. It's a big commitment - 57 episodes over the summer, we need people to be invested and get interested in the stories.
"This year will still feel like Love Island but hopefully a premium version."

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Daily Mail​

3 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

Fern Britton admits she has 'mixed emotions' on former This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield as she addresses his exit from television amid their long-running feud

Fern Britton has addressed Phillip Schofield 's departure from This Morning and reflected on their time hosting the show together after their falling out. The 67-year-old anchored the ITV programme alongside Schofield, 63, for seven years before quitting in 2009. Ahead of her departure, the pair famously fell out and haven't spoken since, with Phil previously claiming in his autobiography their relationship was 'beyond repair'. It was claimed at the time she felt 'undervalued by ITV' and that she was 'living in Phil's shadow'. Now 15 years on, Fern said she had 'great fun' hosting This Morning with her former pal whilst speaking about his own controversial exit. Speaking to Saga Magazine, she said: 'It brought up a lot of mixed emotions. The 67-year-old anchored the ITV programme alongside Schofield, 63, for seven years before quitting in 2009 'The years we worked together were mostly great fun and we were a very good partnership, which I can remember with fondness. 'I knew how much he loved his job and cared deeply for his public perception. It must have been a terribly difficult time for him and his family.' In 2022, Fern ended their long-running feud when she congratulated Schofe in a video message to celebrate his 40th anniversary in television. Last year the mum-of-four returned to screens, appearing on Celebrity Big Brother alongside Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne. Phillip stepped down from This Morning and subsequently all TV projects after he admitted to an 'unwise but not illegal' affair with a 20-year-old crew member on the daytime show. Holly Willoughby, who took over hosting duties on This Morning from Fern, released a statement at the time saying she had felt 'hurt' by his 'lies'. Holly stepped down from presenting This Morning after 14 years on the show due to a terrifying kidnap threat and subsequently took time out from the spotlight. Phillip is also said to have called Holly 'The Witch' following the pair's departure from their presenting roles. Tensions between the pair reached further heights when Phil boldly declared there were 'three s**ts' at ITV on his Channel 5 show Cast Away. The pair used to be best friends, with their families even taking annual holidays together, but the bitter feud appears to have been reignited. Phillip is said to have told Holly that she 'brought him down' before he resigned from This Morning. Meanwhile, last week Phillip was making the most of the warm summer weather as he took his dog for a walk in west London on Wednesday. He cut a casual figure in the outing in a light blue shirt and a pair of cream knee-length shorts.

Daily Mirror

5 hours ago

• Daily Mirror

Fern Britton says she has 'mixed emotions' on Phillip Schofield amid their feud

Fern Britton has given her verdict on Phillip Schofield's fall from grace amid decades of feud rumours between them, admitting she has 'mixed emotions' about the shamed presenter. Fern Britton says Phillip Schofield's fall from grace left her with 'mixed emotions' after working alongside him for seven years on This Morning. 'It brought up a lot of mixed emotions. "The years we worked together were mostly great fun and we were a very good partnership which I can remember with fondness,' 67-year-old Fern told Saga Magazine, despite years of feud rumours between the pair. ‌ Fern quit This Morning back in 2009, with Phillip claiming in his 2020 autobiography that the pair had a fallout over This Morning's content, describing their relationship as 'beyond repair'. ‌ Three years later, Phillip, 63, stepped down from This Morning as it was uncovered he had an 'unwise but not illegal' affair with a young show runner, following months of rumours he was embroiled in a feud with co-presenter Holly Willoughby. And while many assume there's no love lost between the shamed presenter and Fern, she had only kind words to say of Phillip. 'I knew how much he loved his job and cared deeply for his public perception. It must have been a terribly difficult time for him and his family,' said Fern. Since leaving This Morning, Phillip subsequently left his presenting role on Dancing On Ice and has steered away from the spotlight - other than his negatively received 2024 mini series, Cast Away, on Channel 5. While Holly Willoughby has also since left This Morning, with presenters Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard taking over on the morning magazine show. However, Fern recently stepped further into showbiz with an appearance on Celebrity Big Brother last year, alongside the likes of Sharon Osborne and Louis Walsh. During her time in the famous house, Fern remained tight-lipped on her thoughts about Phillip's scandal-ridden two years. 'Genuinely, I haven't been [on This Morning] for 15 years – I got off the train and it's way over the horizon now, so I honestly don't know. I can't say anything. It was tricky at times. I think Ben [Shephard] and Cat [Deeley] are going to do a great job,' she said when probed by housemates. ‌ Since the TV stint, Fern has returned to writing and recently released her tenth book, A Cornish Legacy. 'After This Morning, I needed to find a way to pay for my children to go to university,' she says of the decision to become an author. Talking about relationships and love in her newest book, Fern says she is also open to romance in the real world, but says it won't be easy to woo her. 'I'm not adverse to [meeting someone new] but they'd have to be bloody spectacular,' said Fern, who split from husband of 22 years Phil Vickery in 2020. 'They'd have to make me laugh, they must be kind, and they must be honest.

Scottish Sun

6 hours ago

• Scottish Sun

Maya Jama makes embarrassing blunder live on Love Island: Aftersun after suffering wardrobe malfunction

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MAYA Jama made multiple blunders live on the most recent episode of Love Island: Aftersun. The fan-favourite presenter took to the airwaves to present the ITV2 spin-off show. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 Maya Jama was left scrambling on Love Island: Aftersun Credit: ITV2 5 The presenter waved her arms in frustration after she made an embarrassing mistake Credit: ITV2 5 She was chatting to Amy Hart, Sam Thompson and Ash Holme as she made the blunders Credit: ITV2 As host of Love Island, Maya Jama, 30, also fronts the accompanying studio show. She was chatting to former contestant Amy Hart, influence Ash Holme and superfan Sam Thompson about the drama. However, she suffered from a wardrobe malfunction after getting a little too excited. Maya flaunted her slim figure in a skin tight backless off the shoulder dress as her hair was styled into subtle waves. However, one of her shell earrings fell out of her earlobe, which seemed to have left her scrambling. She attempted to move the conversation to a new set of islanders as she declared" "Onto Helena and Harry now." But turning away from the panel, she gasped: "Oops, lost an earring". The director was forced to cut to a wide shot of the studio instead of the usual closeup as she tried to find the accessory on the sofa. Later the presenter made a second blunder when she seemed to mispronounce the name of one of the contestants. Malisha Jordan was previously dumped by bombshell Harrison Solomon on the long-running dating show. Maya Jama's boyfriend Ruben Dias flies out to Love Island to take her on romantic date When referring to her eviction, Maya Jama accidently referred to the star as one of the contestants who was still in the villa. During that introduction to the segment, instead of saying the correct name Malisha, she accidentally called her Alima. Before Malisha was welcomed into the studio, Maya enthusiastically said: "Let's welcome our bombshell, queen Alima ... Malisha!" The star waved her arms up in the air in frustration after she immediately corrected the slip up. Some fans of Love Island were left somewhat confused as they took to social media after the blunder. One fan jokingly remarked: "Not Maya evicting Alima ?" 5 The director was forced to cut away from the sofa as she found her accessory Credit: ITV2 5 Maya later mistook one dumped contestant for one that was still in the video Credit: ITV2 Love Island continues on ITV2 and is available to stream on ITVX.