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Love Island 2026 has confirmed a major twist for the upcoming series 13 launch tonight (1 June).
The premiere episode, which will see Maya Jama return as host, will kick off at nighttime for the first time in the show’s history.
Typically, the show is prerecorded, with viewers seeing a whole day’s events unfold in one nightly episode.
Alongside the news ITV released a picture of Jama standing by the iconic Love Island entrance – and standing in the dark.
“A brand new batch of sexy singles will enter the Villa in style for an exclusive welcome party under the stars,” ITV also said of the opening episode, adding that fans can expect the same mix of “surprise arrivals, shifting loyalties and instant sparks” throughout the season.
The shake-up news comes just days after the OG line-up was revealed.
This year’s contestants are an eclectic bunch, including a student a teacher, a model and a real estate videographer.
Executive producer Lewis Evans previously hinted at a never-seen-before twist in the opening episode of the new season while speaking to Radio Times and other press.
“We’re going to play into that this year, we can’t say too much, but [in] the first episode we’re changing things,” he said.
“We’re doing something that we’ve never done before in the history of Love Island. We’re going to take a big risk and we hope it pays off,” he added.
He also teased that there’ll be more surprises in store for viewers as the series progresses.
He said: “The challenges will be different, you’ll also see that in the villa we’ve got a new space where there’s more beds, [and] with more beds comes more bombshells…”
Read more:
- Love Island bosses reveal why Joey Essex twist worked – but why it won’t be making a return
- Love Island bosses confirm new companion series airing immediately after main episode – with all-new hosts
Love Island returns on Monday 1 June at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
