Get the personalised water bottles and suitcases on deck – Love Island is back for an all-new all-star edition.
Love Island All Stars is this year’s winter offering of the hit ITV2 dating programme, which sees 12 of the show’s finest past contestants return for a second (or third) chance at a villa romance.
Late last year, across the pond, Love Island Games also united former stars of the international Love Island universe – however, the series did not air in the UK, despite including several contestants from former British seasons taking part.
Maya Jama is back leading proceedings, having succeeded Laura Whitmore as host last January, alongside a line-up of islanders including Georgia Harrison, Toby Aromolaran, Kaz Kamwi, Chris Taylor, Georgia Steel, Anton Danyluk, Hannah Elizabeth, Jake Cornish, Demi Jones, Luis Morrison, Liberty Poole, Mitchel Taylor.
However, at the end of the second episode, it was revealed that Jake had quit the series after just three days in the villa.
Key points
Fan-favourite teases return
23:07 , Tom Murray
Could one of Love Island’s best ever bombshells be primed for a return?
While interacting with her Instagram followers on Monday night (15 January), Megan Barton-Hanson asked fans to submit Love Island-related questions.
One fan asked whether they could expect to see her in the revamped South African villa, to which she replied: “Maybe. Let’s see what hot guys go in.”
Read more:
Love Island fan-favourite teases potential return to All Stars villa
Jake’s exit confirmed
22:30 , Tom Murray
Reports earlier suggesting that Jake had left the series have now been confirmed. In a teaser for episode three, Jake was shown gathering his fellow islanders around the fire pit to announce that he was exiting the villa.
Jake’s ex Liberty was shown in tears before the show cut to the contestant speaking with Maya Jama in an interview-style set-up. He lasted just three days on the series – I guess we’ll soon find out why.
Love Island’s Jake Cornish shockingly quits All Stars
Georgia and Toby share first ‘real’ kiss of the series
22:27 , Tom Murray
We’ve got our first big smooch and no surprise it’s between Georgia and Toby. The pair look very cosy together – could this be their year?
Megan Barton Hanson teases All Stars appearance
22:10 , Tom Murray
Speculation is rife about who could join the show as the next bombshell. Fans have suggested season eight bombshell Danica Taylor, but another fan-favourite has thrown themselves into the mix.
During a Q&A on Instagram on Monday, Megan Barton Hanson of season four fame was asked whether she would consider entering the villa.
“Maybe. Let’s see what hot guys go in,” the star replied. It wouldn’t be the first time Barton Hanson has returned to the villa. She recently competed on Love Island Games, which saw past contestants from various international editions compete together, but lasted just a week on the show.
Molly shares three-way kiss – and Callum’s not involved
21:59 , Tom Murray
Things get steamy when Molly is dared to share a three-way kiss with the two boys she fancies the most. Chris and Luis get the call-up, while her ex Callum is left in the cold.
“It was quite a nice kiss, to be honest. The only problem was the feeling of another man’s beard,” says Chris.
Islanders play their first game of the series: Champagne Dares
21:50 , Tom Murray
Not exactly the most inventive game from the producers, this, but we’re getting some good drama nonetheless. Champagne Dares sees each contestant down some fizz to find a dare beneath their glass.
A very awkward moment for Mitch as Jake names him as the islander most likely to be on the show for social media followers. “Only because you say it all the time,” Jake says, adding insult to injury and causing a shocked reaction from Liberty who Mitch has been cracking on with. Awks.
Jake and Liberty have ‘the chat’
21:24 , Tom Murray
Liberty asks if Jake has been avoiding her since they arrived in the Villa.
Liberty says: “I personally feel, maybe you’ve just been doing your thing, but I do feel you have been avoiding me a bit and I don’t want it to be like that.”
Jake assures Liberty: “There’s no bad blood there. We’ve moved on – I wanna talk to you because you’re good fun.”
Liberty says: “Maybe a good friendship could come out of this.”
Jake says: “Yeah, of course. Let’s see how it goes… we both know where we are at now.”
Callum picks Molly in shock decision
21:19 , Tom Murray
Who saw that coming? Quite a few fans, according to Twitter/X. Callum, who had the power to break up any couple in the villa, decided to recouple with his ex-girlfriend Molly. “I’m in shock!” Demi said at the decision.
Callum says he was not expecting it at all when Molly walked in, but there are some cynics doubting his story on social media.
“Y’all could never convince me this s*** isn’t planned and rigged, they faked that breakup until they got back into the villa and got their whole ass storyline,” one person wrote.
“Callum and Molly coincidentally splitting up only to end up on All Stars together and get back coupled up hmmm,” said another.
How to watch Love Island All Stars in the US
21:04 , Tom Murray
For any American readers who may be joining us, my colleagues have put together this handy guide explaining how to watch the show on the other side of the pond.
Thank us later!
How to watch Love Island: All Stars in the US
Not long now…
20:12 , Tom Murray
Hi everyone and welcome back to The Independent’s Love Island All Stars live blog. Last night got off to great start with plenty of drama and surprises, and tonight promises to be more of the same!
Liberty is set to pull Jake and discuss their relationship moving forward after the public cruelly recoupled the two exes.
Meanwhile, there have been murmurings that Jake will dramatically leave the villa tonight. We’ll keep you updated with all the latest here.
You can read our review of last night’s episode here:
Jake has reportedly ‘quit’ Love Island All Stars after episode one
12:26 , Ellie Muir
Reports are suggesting that Jake Cornish has ‘left the villa’ after the public coupled him up with his ex-girlfriend Liberty Poole.
We’re on the case… stay tuned for updates!
WATCH: Love Island’s big twist
11:30 , Nicole Vassell
Did you catch the moment that recent exes Callum and Molly reunited at the end of the Love Island All Stars launch episode?
Here’s the toe-curlingly awkward scene:
Could All Stars be the thing to rekindle the UK’s Love Island love affair?
09:00 , Nicole Vassell
Love Island burst back onto our screens last night, bringing us dazzling teeth, bronze tans and awkward reunions galore.
For The Independent’s reviewer Katie Rosseinsky, it was an episode full of promise, and potentially the spark the franchise needed to raise its popularity once again.
She wrote: “Clearly, the producers aren’t messing around this time (perhaps realising that they’re going up against The Traitors has made them raise their game). Can theatrics like this keep our attention on All Stars for longer than the first week or so?”
Check out the full review here:
Love Island: All Stars might just rekindle our love for the show – review
First look inside luxury gold-theme Love Island All Stars villa
Monday 15 January 2024 23:24 , Tom Murray
Meet the former contestants returning for a second chance at romance
Monday 15 January 2024 23:05 , Tom Murray
Meet the former Love Island contestants returning for All Stars
Love Island’s Iain Stirling hints at ‘favourite’ to win new All Stars
Monday 15 January 2024 22:50 , Tom Murray
First episode ends with a major twist…
Monday 15 January 2024 22:39 , Tom Murray
Wow, a dramatic final twist sees season six’s Callum Lee Jones re-enter the villa. He can now choose to break up one of the couples to steal a girl for himself.
BUT WAIT, there’s more! Maya then introduces Molly Smith, Callum’s very recent ex-girlfriend who made it all the way to the Love Island finals with him in 2020. She is also included as an option for Callum to couple up with.
Judging by the frosty reaction, that seems unlikely as the episode cuts to black, teasing a dramatic opener to episode two.
Your first set of Love Island All Stars couples are…
Monday 15 January 2024 22:29 , Tom Murray
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Chris Taylor and Demi Jones
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Luis Morrison and Georgia Harrison
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Toby Aromolaran and Georgia Steel
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Anton Danyluk and Hannah Elizabeth
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Jake Cornish and Liberty Poole
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Mitchel Taylor and Kaz Kamwi
You absolute trolls! The public picks Jake and Liberty to couple up
Monday 15 January 2024 22:25 , Tom Murray
In a decision shocking absolutely no one – least of all the stars themselves – the public has decided that Jake should couple up with Liberty. As Maya attempted to build tension, Jake said, “I just know” in regards to who he’d be coupled up with.
Unsurprisingly, he was right and the two exes are brought back together despite earlier saying: “That book is closed”.
“What are the chances of that, eh?” Jake jokes as he walks to Liberty’s side.
Despite insisting there’s “no bad blood”, the two are adamant that the chance of rekindling their romance is nil.
Georgia and Toby get their wish!
Monday 15 January 2024 22:16 , Tom Murray
Georgia S is all smiles as she gets paired with Toby. A slightly tense moment follows though as Maya points out that she chose Anton earlier – “Yeah… we’ll work it out,” is her response. *Grimace face emoji*.
Demi and Chris are the first All Star couple
Monday 15 January 2024 22:13 , Tom Murray
The first couple decided by the public are Demi and Chris. Despite being popular with the ladies, Demi was not one of the three female islanders who said they fancied Chris the most earlier.
Love Island’s favourite couple is back… Kaz and Liberty
Monday 15 January 2024 22:03 , Tom Murray
Fans are already delighted at one Love Island reunion in particular: Kaz and Liberty. The villa besties are back, spawning some excellent reactions on Twitter.
Watch: Jake and Liberty reunite after Season 7 split
Monday 15 January 2024 21:58 , Tom Murray
Toby’s feelings are hurt
Monday 15 January 2024 21:56 , Tom Murray
Georgia picked Anton as the boy she fancies most and even she doesn’t seem to know why. “If you’d have picked me, I’d have been buzzing,” she tells a somewhat baffled Toby, who was expecting Georgia to be standing by his side.
There’s definitely a vibe here though… “How good would it be to have a cuddle,” Georgia asks Toby who iceily responds: “Why don’t you cuddle Anton then?”
The girls pick the boys… or do they?
Monday 15 January 2024 21:48 , Tom Murray
The mind games have officially begun as Maya Jama makes the female contestants pick the male contestants they fancy the most.
“Girlies, in a minute I am going to ask you to stand next to the boy that you fancy the most,” she explains. “It doesn’t matter if more than one of you stands next to the same boy but you have to make your decision right now. Off you go.”
Georgia picks Scotsman Anton while Liberty chooses Messy Mitch. Meanwhile, Jake and Toby are left on their ones.
However… Jama then reveals that the choices were pointless as the couples are in fact up to the general public.
Worth a go: Anton tries it on with Maya Jama
Monday 15 January 2024 21:42 , Tom Murray
As the hostess with mostess sits down to great the contestants, Anton reaches into his pocket and pulls out some breath-freshening spray. He’s quickly shut down by Jama, though. Worth a pop, I suppose.
Bravo viewers – best reactions to Liberty and Jake’s reunion
Monday 15 January 2024 21:22 , Tom Murray
Sometimes you’ve just got to give it to Twitter/X, don’t you? Some fantastic reactions rolling in to that cringeworthy reunion between Jake and Liberty.
Awkward… Liberty and Jake reunited
Monday 15 January 2024 21:18 , Tom Murray
The first two boys to enter the villa are Jake and Chris – lucky Liberty!
Jake and Liberty were day one Islanders on Love Island season seven in 2021. They coupled up on the first day, and remained together for the majority of the season until Liberty broke things off ahead of the final.
“Well this is a fantastic start isn’t it, you’re going to have to have it out,” jokes Chris.
Liberty then reveals she and Jake haven’t spoken in two years. Thankfully, the reunion is interrupted by the arrival of Liberty’s best friend Kaz who enters the Villa with Mitchel.
‘Cheers to being the first blonde bombshells’
Monday 15 January 2024 21:10 , Tom Murray
Hannah and Liberty are the first to enter the newly revamped Villa and toast to being the “first blonde bombshells”.
It’s not long before they’re joined by some familiar faces…
Monday 15 January 2024 20:30 , Nicole Vassell
Grab your snacks, folks – only 30 minutes until the very first Love Island All Stars kicks off!
What does the Love Island All Stars villa look like?
Monday 15 January 2024 19:40 , Nicole Vassell
Have a peek at the gold-themed house here…
What has Maya Jama worked on before?
Monday 15 January 2024 18:40 , Nicole Vassell
Maya Jama might be synonymous with Love Island now, only a year into the job, but she’s had plenty of gigs on her way to the villa.
During the latter half of the 2010s, Jama hosted the 2017 Pre-Brit Awards Party, co-presented the Saturday night game show Cannonball on ITV with Andrew Flintoff and others, appeared as a guest on Loose Women, and became the youngest person, at 23, to co-host the MOBO Awards on Channel 5 with fellow presenter Marvin Humes.
She also co-presented the first series of The Circle on Channel 4 with Alice Levine, and had a presenting gig on Stand Up to Cancer.
Jama made a documentary, in 2017, exploring how growing up with a father in prison affects people, which led to a short-lived reunion with her own dad. “I didn’t speak to him again after that,” she told The Guardian in 2020.
In recent years, Jama has also presented BBC One’s Peter Crouch: Save Our Summer and the channel’s New Year’s Eve programme The Big New Year’s In. In January 2021, the BBC announced that Jama would be the new presenter of Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star, replacing former presenter Stacey Dooley, and in February 2021, Jama appeared as a celebrity guest judge during the second series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
Later that year, it was announced that Jama would be the host of Simon Cowell’s new music competition gameshow Walk the Line.
What is season 5 favourite Chris Taylor looking for now?
Monday 15 January 2024 17:40 , Nicole Vassell
Chris may have spent just 15 days in the villa in 2019, but he became an unexpected favourite among fans. This was despite being unlucky in love – in Chris’s own words, he “managed to get pied six times in 15 days, which has got to be a world record”.
Now 33, Chris is returning to the villa with a more mature approach. “I am 33 now and getting on a bit – I am getting ear hair!” he said. “It would be nice to have a girl to keep my ears trimmed for me! It would be good to find a girl who I can co-parent my dog with.”
What is the prize for winning Love Island?
Monday 15 January 2024 16:41 , Nicole Vassell
In regular Love Island seasons, the couple that finishes in first place wins £50,000 between them.
However, what the Love Island All Stars stand to gain at the end of the competition is still yet to be confirmed. But with the social media ban lifted for this season, maybe an increase in Instagram, X and TikTok followers will be enough of a prize!
What happened between Liberty and Jake on season 7?
Monday 15 January 2024 15:40 , Nicole Vassell
Ah, don’t you just hate it when you run into your ex on holiday, in your swimwear, in front of millions of viewers?
Sadly for Liberty Poole and Jake Cornish, this exact scenario awaits them on Love Island All Stars, as they’ll be reuniting two-and-a-half years after meeting in the villa.
Though they coupled up on the very first day of the 2021 season, Jiberty’s story was a bumpy one, going from becoming official girlfriend-and-boyfriend one week, to eventually breaking things off and choosing to leave the competition just before the final.
With Liberty’s best friend and fellow season 7 alumnus Kaz Kamwi also joining the cast, it’ll be a big homecoming for all – but will sparks fly between our former lovers once again?
Which contestants have the longest gap between their season and All Stars?
Monday 15 January 2024 14:40 , Nicole Vassell
While some Islanders were last on our screens mere months ago (looking at you, Mitch), others are bona fide veterans who haven’t graced the villa in nearly a decade.
Both Hannah Elizabeth and Luis Morrison are making their Love Island returns in this All Star season, for the first time since season 1 in 2015.
Do they still have the same pulling skills that made them iconic back in the Island’s fledgling days? Only time will tell…
Where and when will the launch episode air?
Monday 15 January 2024 13:46 , Nicole Vassell
To mark its launch, Love Island All Stars will be simulcast for one night only on ITV1 and STV as well as its home channel, ITV2, and ITVX on streaming.
Viewers can tune in at 9pm tonight on either of these platforms to see the romances get underway over in South Africa.
For the rest of the run, fans can watch on ITV2 and ITVX.
WATCH: Love Island’s Iain Stirling hints at ‘favourite’ to win new All Stars
Monday 15 January 2024 12:40 , Nicole Vassell
The long-time voice of Love Island, Iain Stirling, appeared on Monday’s edition of Good Morning Britain, where he let slip his favourite contestant who he hopes will take the crown…
Who won the last season of Love Island?
Monday 15 January 2024 11:40 , Nicole Vassell
Season 10 of Love Island wrapped up in July and saw Jess Harding and Sammy Root as the eventual winners, leaving with each other’s hearts and £25,000 each.
Sadly, their romance was short-lived; they announced their split three months later, in October.
First look at the Love Island All Stars villa
Monday 15 January 2024 10:37 , Nicole Vassell
Here’s a glimpse at the not-so-humble abode of the Love Island All Stars cast – complete with gold decor as far as the eyes can see…
Gregory Daniels is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, he explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture. Gregory enjoys staying ahead of the curve and sharing emerging trends with his readers.
