Typically, come June, Love Island dominates the group chats and social calendars of many people across the UK. But so far in 2020, nothing out of the ordinary has happened. With countries in lockdown and international travel suspended, many fans of the reality show may be wondering how the coronavirus outbreak will impact Love Island?
Although things are still uncertain for the time being, on May 4, it was confirmed that the 2020 summer series of "Love Island" was cancelled. ITV director of television Kevin Lygo announced in a statement to Bustle UK:
"We have tried various ways to produce Love Island this summer, but it is logistically impossible to produce it in a way that safeguards the welfare of everyone involved, which is a priority for us. Under normal circumstances we would soon be preparing to travel to the location in Mallorca to prepare the villa, but obviously that is not possible now."
Lygo added: “We are very sorry to fans of the show but safe broadcasting is our biggest concern and Love Island will be back stronger than ever in 2021. In the meantime, Love Island ’s Fans can still enjoy all six episodes of Love Island on BritBox.
Although it was announced during the Winter Love Island finale that the show would return in summer 2020, fans immediately began speculating about their favorites as the COVID-19 crisis escalated and Spain declared a state of emergency on March 14 What will happen to the team on the dating show.
ITV chief executive Caroline McCall said in a statement released on March 18: "This week, the impact of the novel coronavirus continues to escalate as the government steps up measures and advice. The impact has been profound on people and organizations across the UK, and no matter what happens, we will continue to broadcast our six channels, which provide hundreds of hours of content for everyone in the UK to watch for free every week,” continued McCall. More details have been provided on format changes for shows including Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, The Voice UK , Coronation Street and Emmerdale. However, there was no mention of Love Island .
On March 24, The Independent reported that Love Island producers still hope the show can go ahead as scheduled, and there are even rumors that the show is being filmed in Cornwall. However, on April 30, Lygo took part in a virtual panel at the Edinburgh Television Festival and said "it wouldn't be the same show being produced in the UK."
During the panel, Legault also said he was nervous about "everyone being crowded together and beating each other up while performing, while the rest of the world is being told not to go near anyone in the park." He said ITV will make a final decision in the coming weeks and will consider questions such as "Will Mallorca open its doors to hundreds of production staff?"
On May 10, just weeks after it was announced that Love Island had been officially cancelled, rumors emerged that ITV bosses were reconsidering their decision. A source is said to have told The Sun that Love Island could take place in locations such as the Canary Islands in the autumn. However, ITV has yet to confirm anything and they did not respond when contacted by Bustle for comment.
If you or a close contact appear to have developed or are experiencing symptoms of coronavirus , including fever, shortness of breath and cough, visit the UK NHS website for next steps you should take or visit the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website for the latest information and resources. You can find all of Bustle's coronavirus coverage here , as well as UK-specific coronavirus updates .
