
Love Island is back for another season, and this time the competitors will be hunting for love under the glare of South Africa’s winter sun.
Following the introduction of the faces that will undoubtedly become household names during the course of the ITV show, show producers have offered a first glance at the action’s headquarters – the villa.
This time, singletons will spend their time getting to know one other on the grounds of a magnificent estate that reputedly cost £1.2 million and has an Olympic swimming pool and a rugby pitch.
The home, hosted by Maya Jama, is fit for a gladiator, complete with a zip line and 400m jogging track.
The mansion, named Ludus Magnus after Rome’s historic gladiator school, will also provide inhabitants access to a private lake with its own beach and palm trees.
The Cape Town estate is a luxurious love pad like no other, with its customary vibrant colour scheme and neon slogans strewn throughout the summer property.



Views of the mountains and African countryside surround the property and will create the best romantic setting for the prospective candidates.
The 25-acre property has a 17-bedroom mansion in the centre of a wine valley near the country’s capital city.
Inside, the huge home boasts lots of space for leisure and relaxation, as well as those all-important cosy places where couples can converse.
The hideaway – where progressive couples earn the permission to spend a night alone – is decked out in bold colours and cloud-themed decor, with the bed situated under a sign that reads: ‘Get Sexy’.
Moving on to the common bedroom, the space, as always, comprises a number of enormous double beds that partners, romantically engaged or not, will have to share.



The winter series’ set replicates many characteristics of the summer favourite, including outdoor showers, a big swimming pool with purple loungers laid out across a central strip of patio, the classic fire-pit, and an outdoor kitchen.
Insiders confirmed ahead of the show’s debut that the network will pay £8,000 a day to film exclusively at the eco-retreat.



In addition to a new setting, the forthcoming season of the dating show will have a new host, Maya, who will replace Laura Whitmore.
Speaking about her new gig, Maya enthused: ‘I’m a massive fan, I’ve watched pretty much all of the series. I’ve tried not to do too much research because you want to still be yourself, don’t you?
‘You want to ask all the questions you want to know, but as a fan of the show, I feel like I’m going to approach it how I’ve screamed at the telly for years.
‘I’m just going to be like, “Why did you kiss her and what happened then?!” But we’ll see.’
Producers recently unveiled their competitor lineup, revealing the group of aspiring romantics to the globe ahead of the highly anticipated January 16 premiere date.
Will Young, a viral TikTok farmer who vlogs his life on a Buckinghamshire farm, the show’s first-ever partially sighted entry Ron Hall, former KSI ring girl Olivia Hawkins, and influencer Tanya Manhenga were also on the list.
Love Island starts at 9pm on Monday January 16 on ITV2 and ITVX.