With Love Island returning to screens next week, excitement is reaching fever pitch.
And while the prospect of a legion of new Islanders is delighting fans, the behind-the-scenes secrets are equally exciting, as former contestant Laura Anderson among a number of other stars of the show spilled the beans on what viewers do not see - from food preparation all the way to drama concoctions.
The rebooted version of the show, which first started in 2005, hit screens in 2015 and caused shockwaves due to the excess of on-screen sex, wild arguments, lasting love and so much more, and after the pandemic left fans without a summer show last year, this year's series if bound to be explosive.
So what do we NOT see at 9pm every night that brings the show to life?
Nice! With Love Island returning to screens next week, excitement is reaching fever pitch and now former stars of the show have given insights into the ins and outs of the programme
PRODUCER WHISPERS
Detailing how producers approach the contestants, Laura told Closer Magazine a 'two-way larder' is where storylines and relationships will be hashed out with the powers-that-be. Laura said: 'If you see someone coming out of 'the larder', there's probably drama ahead!'
Francesca Allen, from 2019's fourth series, revealed stars of the show consult producers on their decisions but insisted they do not have 'much input' into the situation.
She said: 'You do speak to them but everything is your own opinion and feelings. They don’t have that much input at all. They ask you how you’re feeling, who you're you interested in, do you like this person?...
'So they don't really influence your decision. If you feel like you want to speak to someone you just speak to them.'
Detailing how producers approach the contestants, Laura revealed a 'two-way larder' is where storylines and relationships will be hashed out with the powers-that-be.
TIME OFF
Laura also detailed how they ensure there is cooling off time for Islanders as they are permitted four half-day holidays throughout their stint in the villa - which can last up to eight weeks (Danny Dyer pictured in 2017)
Laura also detailed how they ensure there is cooling off time for Islanders as they are permitted four half-day holidays throughout their stint in the villa - which can last up to eight weeks.
This time off involves headed to a 'holding villa' to cool off away from the cameras. She said: 'One group would go to the holding villa where we'd take off our mics and laze around the pool with our chaperones.'
Another break from filming comes when cameramen have lunch however - however stars are banned from talking about 'anything exciting', with new couples or nemeses kept apart so nothing can be missed.
2017 winner Kem Cetinay also spoke about the time off, saying: 'They get one day off a week.
'What happens is it gives them a day to clean the villa and you take your mics off and normally we go to the beach and we just chill out.
'Not a lot of people know this...
'What happens is when you take your mics off, you're not allowed to talk about anything to do with the show. You've got to talk about home life'.
Another break from filming comes when cameramen have lunch however - however stars are banned from talking about 'anything exciting'
SEXUAL HEALTH TESTING
Marcel Somerville from 2017's third series made the explosive but welcome revelation that contestants must undergo and sexually transmitted infection test before the show begins.
He said: 'There’ll always be members of the cast who are more outgoing than others, and there’ll be people who don’t mind doing it [sex]. It’s definitely down to the cast members, if you do want to do it then by all means do it...
'The show provides the necessary protection, so just be safe. The show does do strict testing beforehand just to make sure that everyone going on there is clean.'
Ahem! Sex is said to be encouraged in the villa (Michael Poateng pictured)
HIDEAWAY
The hideaway has been scene to some of the raciest scenes in the show's history, including series two's Zara Holland's now-infamous romp with Alex Bowen, which led to her being stripped of her Miss GB crown.
Oh my! Amber Gill and Michael Griffiths are pictured in a clinch in 2019's series five
This does not stop producers striving to get the sexiest scenes possible, as it has been revealed the bosses encourage contestants to get busy with the help of sex toys placed in the villa.
Siannese Fudge, from last year's winter series, said: 'In the hideaway. Oh my gosh that was so scary wasn't it.
Her co-star boyfriend Luke Trotman added: 'Yeah, it's like silent and then camera, camera, camera, camera and then this red bed with loads of sex toys on it.'
2019 winner Amber Gill revealed she refused a night in the infamous room as she did not want to 'perform for the public', so told producers she would not accept the nomination from her fellow contestants.
Taking to Twitter, she penned: 'I remember I got nominated to go in the hideaway once and I start bubbling so they choose someone else...
'I just want to sleep in peace I don't want to perform for the public to watch in underwear with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. That's for my mans only and to be fair I never had one in there'.
Ahem: The hideaway has been scene to some of the raciest scenes in the show's history, including 2016 series two's Zara Holland's now-infamous romp with Alex Bowen, which led to her being stripped of her Miss GB crown
Cheeky! Lasting couple Tommy Fury and Molly Maer Hague indulge in an intimate moment in the hideaway in 2019
TIME AND DATE CONFUSION
Chris
