Taking things up a notch! Love Island season 2 isn’t only relocating from the beaches of Fiji to the casinos of Las Vegas, but it’s also bringing many new elements into the game, Us Weekly can exclusively reveal.
When the second season of the reality show debuts at the Villa at Caesars Entertainment’s boutique hotel, The Cromwell, the twists are quickly going to be introduced, including a new secret jacuzzi for pairs to spend some alone time in and more opportunities for the audience to make some changes.
Additionally, there’s a new obstacle thrown into the mix for the singles.
“There are lots of twists and turns this year,” executive producer Ben Thursby-Palmer says exclusively on the Thursday, August 20, episode of the “Watch With Us” podcast. “About halfway through, it will be revealed that there’s a second villa. There’ll be a bunch of new girls and new guys coming into the mix. It’s sort of done to put temptation in the way. You’ll have couples that are actually really happy together, and now, it’s like, will they survive this next episode in their journey? That’s what happens in real life!”
Of course, one thing happening in real life is the coronavirus pandemic, which is the reason that filming shifted from Fiji to Las Vegas to begin with.
“We were planning to be back [in Fiji] again, and then obviously, March hit and everything changed. The whole world changed,” executive producer Jessica Castro tells Us. “So we were trying to figure out how we were going to do it domestically and what Love Island in the USA would look like. … Vegas just seemed like such a great fit. Plus, when on Earth would we get an opportunity in history to take over an entire hotel [and] casino like the Cromwell and have the whole beach club to ourselves? It would never happen in normal life. We’re not in normal life right now!”
As for voting, viewers will have the chance to decide everything from who enters to who gets dumped — and ultimately, who wins the $100,000 prize. With the audience being so involved and the show being on so many times during the week, the producers work around the clock.
“You know how when you are preparing for Christmas, and you sort of stock the pantry with a load of stuff, and you’re, like, ‘I don’t know if I’m gonna need it or not, but we just will have it in the house just in case.’ That’s kind of how we make our show,” Thursby-Palmer adds of how the show works, which sometimes changes by the second.
He continues: “If we were going to bring in this girl, in a few days time and she’s watching the show and is like, ‘I don’t fancy any of the guys,’ then we’re not going to bring her in because there’s no point. We want her to actually find someone she likes. … It really is that interactive.”
Season 2 of Love Island kicks off with a two-hour premiere on Monday, August 24, at 8 p.m. ET. Episodes will then air weeknights at 9 p.m. ET. On Saturday, a special episode titled Love Island: More to Love will feature the best moments of the week, never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews.
For more on season 2 — including what the cast is like, how it’s been being sequestered ahead of time and more, listen to the full interview above. Subscribe to the “Watch With Us” podcast for more exclusive TV news and interviews.