Like most people, your summer 2020 plans have probably faced major cancellations following the unprecedented impact of COVID-19. But we all had the hopes of living out our summer fantasy vicariously through Love Island – a British ritual for many. Sadly, this too has now been put to a halt.
On 4th May, ITV announced, unsurprisingly, that due to lockdown measures, flights being grounded, and the virus still being at high risk, plans to fly out to the Mallorca villa could no longer take place. They followed up by promising that summer 2021 would be even bigger and better – a promise many festival organisers, artists, etc. have also made of next years summer. But do we really think Love Island will even go ahead next summer?
Prior to the global pandemic, there were already rumours of Love Island being cut. Following the media attack on, and subsequent death of Caroline Flack, fans wondered if continuing the show would be doing her an injustice. Despite family and friends stating Caroline would want the show to go forward, the ghost of her would inevitably live on in the summer villa. Winter Love Island 2019 was already strange enough, with Laura Whitmore in place of Flack. But after the public outcry following Flack’s suicide, it’s hard to say whether seeing the villa minus its regular host would be too unsettling.
Contemplation aside, it’s safe to say that we will not be getting our Love Island fix this summer. They’ll be no eggs in baskets, no bevs to eye up, no texts to be received, and no heads turned. As they say, it is what it is! The main question remaining: with the outcry surrounding Flack’s death, and summer Love Island now facing no choice but to cancel, will the show make a return come 2021, or was 2019 unknowingly our last summer of love?
All six series of Love Island so far can be streamed on BritBox. Watch Paige and Finn’s journey through the most recent series here: