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With 10 new singletons, Love Island UK is all set to return to ITV with a brand new season this new year. Season 9 of the dating series will air on Monday, January 16, 2023, at 9.00 pm GMT/4.00 pm ET on ITV2 and ITVX. Viewers from outside the UK can watch the show using a VPN.
The official synopsis of Winter Love Island 2023 reads:
“A group of men and women participate in a series of tasks with a partner that they keep swapping until they meet the love of their life.”
Maya Jama will host the season for the first time after presenter Laura Whitmore exited the show. Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Davide Sanclimenti were season 8 winners.
Meet the 10 singletons of Love Island UK season 9
Love Island season 9 will welcome five single men and five single women on Monday, January 16, 2023. The singletons will form the first round of couples before the show introduces some bombshells throughout the season. A lot of drama can be expected on the bombshells’ arrivals as the original pairs get an option to explore new connections.
The 10 UK singletons who will appear in the first episode of Love Island season 9 include:
1) Tanya Mahenga, 22, biomedical science student and influencer from Liverpool
2) Kai Fagan, 24, science and PE teacher from Manchester
3) Lana Jenkins, 25, makeup artist from Luton
4) Ron Hall, 25, financial advisor from Essex
5) Anna-May Robey, 20, payroll administrator from Swansea
6) Will Young, 23, farmer from Buckinghamshire
7) Tanyel Revan, 26, hairstylist from North London
8) Shaq Muhammad, 24, airport security officer from London
9) Olivia Hawkins, 27, ring girl and actress from Brighton
10) Haris Namani, 21, TV salesman from Doncaster
The upcoming reality TV show will also introduce a twist related to the new contestants. Until season 8, new contestants used to appear after a few episodes. This time, the production team will send a new cast member in the first episode itself.
ITV had a voting poll open on January 12, 2023, for viewers to pick one bombshell for the show’s premiere. The choice was between Ellie Spence, 25, a business development executive from Norwich, and Tom Clare, 23, a semi-pro football player from Barnsley.
The voting lines closed on January 13, 2023. Fans will be introduced to the chosen contestant in Love Island season 9 episode 1.
In addition to the new arrival twist, the show’s producers announced another major change in the format. Earlier, the contestants’ family or friends used to handle their social media posts while the islanders were in the villa. This time, participants will be asked to pause their accounts.
The ITV press release reads:
“As part of extended measures to protect both the Islanders and their families from the adverse effects of social media, participants will be asked to pause handles and accounts on their social media platforms for the duration of their time on the show.”
Until the islanders are in the villa, fans will not be able to get any updates from their social media handles.
Love Island 2023 will be filmed in South Africa
The UK-based dating show is all set to take viewers to South Africa since Love Island season 9 will be filmed in a villa located in Franschhoek Wine Valley. The ITV press release reads:
“Love Island will kick start the New Year with a fresh batch of Islanders heading to South Africa on a quest for love and romance. In the villa of their dreams, their stay in paradise will serve up everything from bombshell arrivals to hideaway hijinks.”
The villa is Ludus Magnus, which includes 17 bedrooms, a zip line, a rugby field, a 400m running track, a private lake, and a beach. The 25 acres property is reportedly worth £1.2 million ($1,460,000).
The new islanders will enter the villa on January 16, 2023.
Love Island season 9 will air new episodes every day, from Monday through Saturday on ITV2.
