love island the information contained in this press pack is strictly embargoed until 22.00 monday 21st june 2021 love island returns to itv2 and itv hub Love Island returns to ITV2 for its seventh sizzling series, as a brand new host of singletons seek to find their perfect match. Laura Whitmore is at the helm as the Islanders do their best to flirt, date, couple up and try and avoid being ‘dumped’ from the iconic Mallorcan villa. With new arrivals, heads may turn, while others will prove their true feelings, all narrated by the inimitable voice of Love Island, Iain Stirling. From romance and heart-to-hearts to betrayal and broken hearts, there’s never a dull moment in this ultimate search for love. More texts, fire pit gatherings and challenges await the lovestruck Islanders, meaning there’ll be plenty for them to dish the dirt on in the Beach Hut. Love Island was the most watched show on any digital channel in 2020 and as it returns there’ll be lots of twists and turns along the way, with shock recouplings, unexpected splits and dramatic exits. As the pairs attempt to win the hearts of each other – and the nation – one couple will ultimately triumph and be crowned Love Island winners 2021. Plus, returning to ITV2 is Love Island: Aftersun, with Laura Whitmore hosting live from London, catching up with Islanders as they leave the villa, getting the inside scoop from family, friends and celebrity fans, plus sharing unseen footage. Love Island is produced by Lifted Entertainment, part of ITV Studios, and Motion Content Group. It is distributed internationally by ITV Studios and has been commissioned in 21 territories from Australia and US to Spain and the Netherlands and many more. laura whitmore How does it feel to be back hosting the new What’s your favourite thing about hosting Love What would your advice be for someone going series of Love Island? Island? into the Villa? “I am so excited to be back hosting. It’s been a year “Purely from a fangirl point of view, getting to see “The only thing I can say is be yourself. Eight weeks where I think we all need a bit more love and fun in behind the scenes of one of the best shows out is a long time, if you try and play a game or try to our lives and I think everyone is ready for Love there. It’s like going on set of a movie and seeing be something you’re not, you’re going to get found Island to be back – myself included. I’m really how it works. I worked on TV shows before where out quite quickly. From watching the show, I would excited about seeing the Villa. I’ve never seen the it’s a set and there’s like three walls. In there it’s just say be yourself if you want to be in there for Villa in Mallorca so I’ll probably be there a little bit not. You can’t see the cameras. I always wondered the long run.” fangirling at the Villa. It’s almost like a person to when you see shows like Love Island, how do they me. So I need to remember that I’m there doing a forget about the cameras, but you can understand Do you find it hard not to get involved in the job, not just a fangirl. I haven’t met any of the how they can forget about them because they’re dumpings? Islanders yet but I’ve heard from the people kind of behind the wall or the glass… I walked in behind the scenes that they are an incredible cast - there, I was like, oh this is a really fun house to be “I find it really hard. I found it really hard after Casa it’s really exciting.” staying in. Pretty fangirl to be able to see behind Amor. Last year when I knew Callum was coming the scenes. Not many people get to do that.” back with Molly and I had to walk in there, and I Did you miss it when it was off air? saw Shaughna… I knew he’s walking in with What are you looking forward to most? another girl. All I wanted to say was run… but “I’ve never worked a summer Love Island, so I’d obviously I can’t do that. Even my eyes… I couldn’t normally be watching it on the telly. I really missed “I think the first day. I meet all the Islanders the look her in the eye. But I found that really hard, as watching it. I couldn’t watch the news anymore. I way everyone else meets all the Islanders. So she ended up picking nobody and I was thinking, needed something that was a bit more fun – I think when they come into the Villa and they do the ‘Pick somebody!’. But I’m not allowed to say that, everyone’s the same. Having the break from it has line-up, that’s the first time I’m meeting all of obviously.” made people appreciate it more.” them as well. So I’m looking forward to that. It’s so funny because you change your opinion so much. This is your first time in the Mallorca Villa, but When you watched previous series did you have You meet someone and you go, ‘Oh, they’re my what is your favourite bit of the Villa? WhatsApp groups about it? favourite’. And then I’ll have a different favourite by the next week. The first day, that’s the big day. “That room where they get ready... the mess they “I have WhatsApp groups, loads of WhatsApp Love And I love trying to guess who I think they’ll make. I thought I was bad with my friends. I Island groups. I remember series 3, I was in a play choose. I never get it right.” remember going in there and there’s make-up on and we were touring. We had a cast WhatsApp the floor, they’re messier than I am. But that’s a group and it just became about Love Island. Not What do you think is the secret to the show’s fun room to get ready in. And I like it around the anything to do with the play. Nothing in there success? pool – wouldn’t we all like that?!” about our job, just about Love Island. “Everybody loves love. The feelings and what they “When you hear the music you think, ‘What do I go through is so relatable. Everything from need before it starts?’ I make sure I’ve got all the unrequited love to getting ‘pied off’... We see it all snacks ready and I’m ready to go. in Love Island. I think that’s what really is the draw.” “If you’re even 10 minutes behind, you’ll miss something and someone will say it in the What makes the perfect Islander? WhatsApp group. There are rules for the WhatsApp groups. I have a few friends who might “The perfect Islander, for me, is someone funny. miss an episode and I’d say something and they’d Someone who stirs it up a little bit. You want get really angry with me and I’m like, ‘It’s your fault characters, big personalities in there. Someone for missing it, don’t be blaming me.’” who goes for it.” sharon gaffka 25 from oxford civil servant - operations lead for department of transport What made you want to take part in the new Somebody who can make me laugh and I can You’re a Young Women's Trust Ambassador? series of Love Island? be myself around. I’m really clumsy and goofy. On social media, I look really put together but When I went to Japan for Miss International, I It's been a bit of a running joke between my my friends who know me know I’ll fall down became an ambassador against domestic friendship group for a while that I should the stairs. violence of women in Japan. I did a few apply, probably because I’m the most campaigns on period poverty and worked with outrageous one out of the group. But also What do you think you’ll miss most while a few organisations and charities. I signed up because of COVID and the lockdown, I’m the you’re in the Villa? to be one of their sponsors and they only single one in my friendship group. They’re approached me to become an ambassador. either married or planning on getting married. Sending memes to my friends. I don’t want to be the only one in the group What would be your dream date? chat that is single anymore! What are you most looking forward to? Anything with food and drink. Maybe Tell us about your job. What do you do for Having a bit of normality. I live on my own so something like Junkyard Golf. Something work at the moment? actually getting to see people on a daily basis. where I don’t have to take myself too seriously. There are so many rules with dating and all of I’m not really a fan of the whole sit down I’ve been a civil servant since I was 18. I’ve that is taken away. I don’t have to do any weird dinners and talking about stuff. worked in lots of different departments.