EXCLUSIVE: Love Island winter series is AXED for a second time and will be replaced by a brand new All Stars season in early 2024
EXCLUSIVE: Love Island winter series is AXED for a second time and will be replaced by a brand new All Stars season in early 2024
The winter series of Love Island has been axed for a second time due to low ratings, MailOnline can exclusively reveal.
But fans of the ITV2 dating show won’t have to wait an entire year to get their Love Island fix with a brand new All Stars season airing in early 2024.
ITV bosses had hoped Maya Jama would pull back plummeting ratings from the winter series but despite the presenter’s popularity, the show filmed in South Africa failed to resonate with viewers on the same scale as it does during the summer.
In 2020, the first winter series aired but it was cancelled until this year when Maya, 28, took over the helm from former presenter Laura Whitmore, 38.
And now TV insiders have confirmed to MailOnline that the winter series will be replaced next year with the All Stars season, which will feature Love Island contestants from previous shows filmed not only in the UK but US and Australia.
A source revealed: ‘The winter series of Love Island has been axed for a second time… viewers just aren’t interested in watching the show twice a year.
‘It will be replaced by a brand new All Stars series, which will feature former Islanders who are still looking for love.
‘In terms of iconic Love Island stars who are now happily married including the likes of Olivia Attwood, producers are looking into cameo appearances so that they still involve fan favourites from the years gone by.’
MailOnline understands that the All Stars series will be filmed in South Africa and casting producers are currently recruiting single former stars of the show to sign up.
Megan Barton-Hanson, 29, who rose to fame on the 2018 series, is believed to be taking part while Georgia Steel, 25, known for her catchphrase ‘I’m loyal’, is also high on the wish list.
Maura Higgins, 32, star of the 2019 series, was approached but has ruled herself due to now being in a relationship with Hollywood stunt double Bobby Holland Hanton.
She said this month: ‘I can’t see myself ever doing that again, no. I’ve been asked, but I’ve said no. I just think, I’ve done it once, I’ve had my time on Love Island. I don’t really want to go back in time, I want to look to the future.’
A spokesperson for ITV told MailOnline: ‘Love Island returns to ITV2 and ITVX in 2024.’
Bosses have been trialing the concept of bringing back famous Islanders the past two years by recasting Adam Collard and Kady McDermott as well as stars from the show overseas including Jess Wynter, who first found fame on the Australia series.
Sanam Harrinanan and Kai Fagan won the winter show this year while Paige Turley and Finn Tapp earned the title in 2020.
Tonight, this year’s summer series comes to a close with Whitney Adebayo and Lochan Nowacki frontrunners to scoop the £50,000 prize.
They are joined in the final by Molly Marsh and Zachariah Noble, Ella Thomas and Tyrique Hyde, and Sammy Root and Jess Harding.