Love Island 2023: inside a huge South African villa

Love Island is back for another series and this time the contestants will search for love under the glow of the South African winter sun.

Following the reveal of the faces that are sure to become household names for the duration of the ITV event, show bosses released a first look at the home of the action – the villa.

This time around, the singles will spend their time getting to know each other on the grounds of a sprawling mansion that reportedly cost £1.2m and features an Olympic-size swimming pool and rugby pitch.

Hosted by host Maya Jama, the property is fit for a gladiator with an impressive list of sporting amenities including a zip line and 400m running track.

The house, aptly named Ludus Magnus after Rome’s ancient gladiator school, will also allow residents access to a private lake that now boasts its own beach and an array of palm trees.

Adopting the usual bright color scheme and neon slogans dotted throughout the summer village, the Cape Town estate is a luxe love spot like no other.

Around the property, the views of the mountains and the African countryside are breathtaking and will provide the ultimate backdrop of romance for aspiring contestants.

The 25 acres are home to a 17-room property and sit in the middle of a wine valley near the nation’s capital.

Inside, the sprawling mansion has plenty of room for rest, relaxation, and those all-important cozy nooks for drawing couples in for a chat.

The hideaway, where progressive couples earn the privilege of spending a night alone, is decked out in bold colors and cloud-themed decor, with the bed beneath a sign reading, “Get Sexy.”

Moving on to the common bedroom, as always, the space contains several large double beds that the partners will have to share, whether they are romantically involved or not.

With outdoor showers, a massive pool with purple loungers spread across a central swath of the patio, the iconic fire pit and an outdoor kitchen – the winter series set replicates many aspects of the summer favourite.

Ahead of the show’s launch, insiders revealed that the network will splurge £8,000 a day to film exclusively at the eco-retreat.

In addition to a new location, the next run of the dating show will welcome a new host in host Maya, who replaces Laura Whitmore.

Speaking about her new job, Maya enthused: “I’m a huge fan, I’ve seen almost the entire series.” I’ve tried not to do too much research because you want to remain 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 tackle it like I’ve yelled at TV for years.

‘I’m just going to say, ‘Why did you kiss her and what happened then?’ But we’ll see.

The producers recently debuted their lineup of contestants, introducing the group of hopeful romantics to the world ahead of their highly anticipated January 16 start date.

The list included viral TikTok farmer Will Young, who vlogs his life on a Buckinghamshire farm, visually impaired first entry on the show Ron Hall, former KSI ring girl Olivia Hawkins and influencer Tanya Manhenga.

Love Island starts at 9pm on Monday 16th January on ITV2 and ITVX.

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