It only feels like yesterday that Millie and Liam won Love Island in August 2021.
But tonight (6 June), the ITV2 series is returning with a new batch of contestants who will enter the Spanish villa in the hopes of finding romance or, at the very least, getting a nice suntan.
Fans of the show – or those deciding to get involved for the first time – are preparing to meet the hopefuls, who will be introduced by presenter Laura Whitmore and narrator Iain Sterling.
One thing’s for certain; the launch episode will take on a different form. In a new clip, it’s revealed that the public will choose which contestants couple up as opposed to the contestants themselves.
Find all the updates from the build-up to the launch show below
Love Island 2022: What time does new series start tonight? How to watch and stream
Meet the Love Island 2022 contestants
Where is the Love Island villa this year?
And it’s for Davide,
“In 24 hours, you will couple up with a girl of your choice,” it reads, “leaving one boy single and vulnerable.”
That’s one hell of a powerful position for Davide to be in.
Davide is a REAL man. I know he can build a house with his bare hands. #loveisland
— CEO of Yelling FRSA (@ChantayyJayy) June 6, 2022
“So who does everyone like?”
That’s a unanimous Davide from the girls.
The first Love Island ice breaker obviously involved clothing removal, finger sucking and a raunchy Magic Mike dance.
Oh, and Gemma kissed Davide even though she’s coupled up with Liam moments after spurning his lap dance request. I don’t know why but I don’t think these are destined to remain together.
So, what are the girls thinking of Davide?
Gemma was “blown away” by Davide (pronounced Daviday). Indiyah says he’s “really good looking” Tasha calls him “fit” and compares him to Hercules. Meanwhile, Paige says she’s ready to “get married” after laying eyes on him.
You can say they’re fans.
...and he is a self-proclaimed “Italian stallion” named Davide Sanclimenti.
You bet the boys are worried.
Find out more about him here.
“Bish sells fish” – Luca’s at it again. And we love it.
Tasha is supported by her fellow contestants after she tells them she was born deaf.
Find out more about her history here.
Who is Tasha Ghouri, Love Island’s first deaf contestant?
Amber asked Dami who he’d have picked if the public hadn’t paired them together, and he said Indiyah or Paige.
Brave man to name two girls...
Tasha and Andrew seem to be getting on a bit better than Indiyah and Ikenna. They’re already talking about finding out how flexible each other are after all.
Meanwhile, Paige and Luca are describing their favourite sex positions (the Broken Eagle and “the Oyster something”, for those wondering).
It’s been about an hour.
Ikenna is finding Indiyah “a tough egg to crack” but says the first impressions are “good”.
He also tells her his type is girls with “big bums”. Her response? “My bum isn’t big.”
The fireworks aren’t exactly flying between these two.
So what are the Love Island girls thinking about the boys the public chose for them?
It turns out Gemma is ambivalent about Liam.
Indiyah is happier than she seemed, and thinks Ikenna is “good looking”.
Luca isn’t Paige’s usual type (”not as tall as i’d hope for but the tats make up for it”).
The decision to hand the Love Island power to the public isn’t going down super well with fans, who feel it stripped a lot of the dramatic heft away from the opening episode.
i love a twist but i feel like they’ve removed a very key dramatic element by letting the public pair them up. no staking their claim or nicking each other’s partners. this is just team building and a buddy system #LoveIsland
This leaves Paige and Luca as the fifth and final couple.
Also, Luca from Brighton probably had the greatest opening VT line in Love Island history:
“I’m Luca Bish and I sell fish”.
The public have paired together Tasha and Andrew.
Not sure why but it seems like these two could be a favourite among the public.
Find out more about Andrew here.
Meet Love Island 2022 contestant Andrew Le Page
The public have chosen Indiyah and Ikenna as the third couple.
“You smell nice,” Indiyah tells him, not entirely enthused. Or is she playing it cool?
“I know what I like and I know what I don’t like,” says Liam – not that he’s initially going to have a say in who he couples up with.
The public have chosen Gemma and Liam as the second couple.
Le’t ssee what happens when he realises who her dad is...
The public has chosen Amber and Dami as the first couple.
They greeted each other with a handshake. Very formal.
“Yeah, why not?” she said when asked if she wa shappy with the decision.
We have our first ad break and, for those wondering, Boris Johnson is still the UK’s prime minister.
Not sure who was watching TV more nervously, Boris waiting for the confidence vote result or Michael Owen watching his daughter walk into Love Island…. You could say the vultures are circling both!
Dami the Dubliner (as we’re now calling him) is the first boy up and he’s already spilling details about his you-know-what.
He’s also throwing his Irish charm the way of Laura Whitmore. Start as you mean to go on, Dami!
Find out more about him here.
Meet Love Island 2022 contestant Dami Hope
“This is Love Island and you never know what to expect,” presenter Laura Whitmore says before revealing the first big twist of the series.
The public will pick which boy each girl will couple up with.
Michael Owen’s daughter(!) Gemma has entered the Love Island villa – and she’s dropped the biggest bombshell of the series so far: she has a horse name Sirius Black.
She also dropped a “goal” pun, which is completely fair enough.
Self-confessed “wild child” Amber has entered Love Island in the hope of finding a “real man”.
Time will tell if she’s successful.
Next up is Tasha and, of course, she’s rolling around in a ballpit in her opening VT.
Who is Tasha Ghouri, Love Island’s first deaf contestant?
Paige and Indiyah are first up – and they’ve already cracked into the champers. Wouldn’t you?
As Love Island narrator Iain Stirling just said, they are using a brand new villa for the 2022 series.
Where is the Love Island villa this year?
Well, here we go – Love Island is here and has an overlong opening VT to prove it.
Hats off to the ITV2 schedulers for sticking on Mamma Mia 2 before the new series begins.
Especially because it’s subtitled Here We Go Again, which is... quite apt for the moment.
Not me putting on #Loveisland 10 minutes early and getting Mamma Mia 2 and bawling my eyes out at my love my light.😭😭💔
Shout out to Maya Jama, who is in the US and desperate to find a way to watch the launch show.
Right anyone got a link to watch #loveisland in America plz 😂
This is your 15 minute warning – grab your water bottles and send your texts: Love Island 2022 is almost underway!
This is a good time to point out that Love Island goes on for longer every single year...
My whole personality is about to be love island for the next 12 weeks prepared to be sick of me x
Now is as good a time as any to reflect on previous Love Island series.
We had a go at ranking every one to date.
Every series of Love Island ranked from worst to best
If you’re a Love Island viewer who likes to place bets, then we have information for you.
The aforementioned Tash and Gemma are early favourites to win the show, but a good bet – according to experts, anyway – is Luca.
Find out all the odds here.
Yes, yes, we know Love Island is yet to begin, but we know you’re wondering whether Casa Amor will make a comeback this year.
Will Casa Amor happen on Love Island 2022?
If you think it’s business as usual for the annual Love Island launch episode, think again.
ITV has teased some big twists that will take place as the contestants enter the villa.
More will be revealed at 9pm...
Nothing says “Love Island has returned” better than its theme music.
If you’re wanting to rave along in your living room to the full tune, look no further: a simple Shazam will tell you it’s by A-MNEMONIC
HAPPY LOVE ISLAND DAY! *raves to the theme tune * 🏝💖 #LoveIsland
In an attempt to refresh the format, Love Island bosses have made several changes ahead of this year’s series.
But will it be enought to improve ratings after a dip in 2021?
This is the make it or break it season of Love Island for me. Dropping fast fashion, new villa. Changing rules where the audience picks on the first day. This season has to be better then S2, 3 and 5. The changes have to work otherwise the show will die very quickly #loveisland pic.twitter.com/5qMKkWLP5F
Tasha will be the first ever deaf contestant to feature on Love Island.
She was born completely deaf and got her cochlear implant at the age of five.
Discussing her hearing ahead of the show, Tasha said the her family call her “inspirational”, adding: “I inspire quite a lot of people because I’m really open about it.”
Find out more about Tasha here.
Love Island fans are no doubt feeling nostalgic about past contestants.
Here, we run through all the winners to date – and whether they’re still together...
Who are the previous winners of Love Island?
If anything, Love Island is good to watch ofr holiday inspiraton. This year will see contestants enter a brand new villa in Spain – find out more here.
Where is the Love Island villa this year?
Thi’s year’s series of Love Island will see the return of Laura Whitmore as presenter – and Iain Stirling will be providing his unmistakable voiceover for the series, too.
But, did you know the pair are dating in real life?
It’s one of the more unlikely clashes of the year...
It’s been revealed that the Love Island launch episode will begin at exactly the same time the UK learns the result of the no-confidence vote in Boris Johnson.
Whichever way the vote goes, we’re not too sure ITV2 will be overjoyed about the timing.
Really excited to watch Twitter divide into Love Island vs no confidence vote commentary tonight
— Alice Hearing (@alice_hearing) June 6, 2022
In fact, if you want a look at the Love Island launch episode, you can do so here thanks to the show’s official Twitter account.
🤩 FIRST LOOK 🤩 This is not a drill... OUR ISLANDERS ARE IN THE VILLA 😱 and Laura already has a surprise for them... 👀 #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/ODL9UjTYPI
In the past, Love Island has featured Danny Dyer’s daughter, Tyson Fury’s brother and Ed Sheeran’s ex.
This year, the series will feature yet another celebrity link: Michael Owen’s daughter.
Here’s a photo of Gemma Owen from tonight’s episode.
The new contestants might all seem like unknowns at the moment, but you’re going to be saying their names all summer.
Meet the contestants for Love Island 2022
If you’re reading this, you’re probably wanting to know all the key details about what to expect from this year’s series.
Fortubately, then, we have the below ready for your perusal.
What time does Love Island begin tonight?
Hello, and welcome to our blog for the launch of Love Island – words that, depending on your stance, will either make you jump for joy or groan in disappointment)
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