Love Island U.K. Postpones Season 7 to 2021 Due to Coronavirus

Aurelie Corinthios
·2 min read

Add Love Island to the growing list of TV shows affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

ITV announced Monday that season 7 of the beloved British reality dating show has been postponed to 2021 due to the outbreak.

"We have tried every which way to make Love Island this summer but logistically it's just not possible to produce it in a way that safeguards the wellbeing of everyone involved and that for us is the priority," said Kevin Lygo, director of television at ITV. "In normal circumstances we would be preparing very soon to travel out to the location in Mallorca to get the villa ready but clearly that's now out of the question."

"We are very sorry for fans of the show but making it safely is our prime concern and Love Island will be back stronger than ever in 2021," he continued. "In the meantime Love Island fans can still enjoy all six series of Love Island on BritBox." (The show is streaming on Hulu in the U.S.)

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The U.K. sensation premiered in 2015 and was itself a reboot of Celebrity Love Island, which ran from 2005-06. Now a cultural phenomenon, it begins with a group of single "Islanders" who come together for the summer in a villa in Mallorca, Spain, where their every move is monitored, Big Brother-style. The show airs five nights a week, so you're following the action more or less live.

Every few days, the Islanders must couple up; those who fail to find a partner risk being dumped from the island. Challenges abound with new Islander arrivals, and viewers regularly vote on who stays and who goes, ultimately crowning one couple the winner of the £50,000 cash prize.

The inaugural U.S. version of the show, taped in Fiji, premiered last year on CBS. The network is still planning to move forward with season 2 (originally scheduled to premiere May 21) when the time is right, PEOPLE has learned. This includes exploring other locations, including domestic options.