Great news, loyal Love Island fans. While Sanam Harrinanan and Kai Fagan were the winter king and queen of the villa, Sammy Root and Jess Harding have just been named the winners of winter Love Island 2023.
And the good news is that isn't the end of Love Island for the year: ITV have already confirmed a whole new series is coming our way next summer. Here's everything you need to know about the application process.
So, do you fancy yourself as the next Ella Thomas and Tyrique Hyde? Or how about the next Jessie Wynter and Will Young? Here's what you need to know. ITV launched a page for wannabe Islanders to register their interest in the show here.
The online application page reads:
"ITV2 are looking for vibrant singles from across the UK who want to head to the sun, in search of love! The chosen cast will spend time in a luxury villa, getting to know one another, but to remain in paradise they must win the hearts of the public and their fellow Islanders who ultimately decide their fate on Love Island. If you think you’ve got what it takes, then we want to hear from you straight away."
You are then prompted to fill out the initial application form.
The Love Island application process
ITV stresses that you must be 18 years old by the closing date for entries to apply. Of course, the application process is not the only way they find their contestants, having a strong social media game is key, casting producer for the show Lewis Evans says.
“We also cast our net far and wide by looking at social media profiles (Twitter and Instagram) as it’s always quite easy to gauge on there people who are popular, aren’t afraid to show themselves off and have a big following," he said (via Liverpool Echo.) We also attend events and hold street castings for prospective Islanders. The key is that they are over 18, single and looking for love.”
If you catch the producers' attention (which is tricky; MailOnline report the 2022 series had over 100,000 applicants) there is then an audition process and numerous interviews, which we’re guessing wouldn’t be your run-of-the-mill “Where do you see yourself in five years time?” questions we’re used to.
How to be scouted for Love Island
According to MailOnline, of the 11 contestants who made up the Love Island 2022 starting line up, only three actually applied without being scouted. Those scouted by producers are thought to include Gemma Owen (the daughter of former England footballer Michael Owen), according to the Mail on Sunday, as well as Indiyah Polack, Davide Sanclimenti, Ikenna Ekwonna, Luca Bish and Liam Llewellyn.
Amber Beckford was also apparently approached by ITV, but instead decided to put herself forwards via the publication application process. The other three contestants who applied for the show without being contacted are paramedic Paige Thorne, estate agent Andrew Le Page, and microbiologist Dami Hope, 26, according to reports.
In an interview with Cosmopolitan UK, Jay Younger revealed he was contacted via Instagram, after his gym in Edinburgh posted a photo of him to their page, while Olivia Hawkins from Love Island 2023 revealed that while she applied for the show previously, she was actually asked to appear this time around.
The three main qualities contestants need
While the contestants on the show might seem different, there are key personality traits that the casting producers look for when narrowing down the Islanders.
“It’s all about having a great mix of desirable, aspirational singletons who have interesting and engaging personalities to keep our viewers glued and entertained by what’s going on in the villa,” Lewis says.
Not only do the contestants have to be single (we imagine there would be a number of heartbroken and angry boyfriends and girlfriends up and down the country if this wasn’t the case) they also have to be readily looking for love and be someone who “stands out from the crowd”.
The questions producers ask
While looking for a - or, multiple - love interest(s) might be the ultimate goal of the show, it is also worth remembering that the winners receive a tidy £50,000 prize fund. “One of the main questions we ask, from the outset, is if they would choose love or money,” Lewis says. “It’s always important to us that anyone coming onto the show is open to finding the girl or guy of their dreams.”
Matchmaking
Given that the producers have met all the contestants and have a roughly equal number of men and women (feels for the one girl left on her own) surely they have a rough idea of who could be matched with who.
No no, Lewis issues a swift denial. "No, that’s the beauty of the show," he says. "Anything can happen and sometimes the people who might be a perfect match on paper will end up going for somebody totally different. Of course, you want to put enough a big mix in the villa so that there is something for everyone, but once they’re in there anything can happen.”
Finally, a piece of advice for anybody who fancies their chances: “If you think you’ve got what it takes, go for it."
Good luck, guys! Maybe you'll be salsa-ing your way into the final this summer.
