History of Love Island (2015 TV series) in Timeline

Love Island is a British reality show, revived from an earlier celebrity series of the same name. It spawned an international franchise with numerous versions worldwide. The show involves contestants, known as Islanders, living in a villa, forming relationships, and competing in challenges. Contestants are regularly eliminated and new ones added, testing the existing relationships. The public votes for their favorite couples, with the winning couple receiving a cash prize. Maya Jama currently presents the show, with Iain Stirling narrating, succeeding former hosts Caroline Flack and Laura Whitmore.

2005: Love Island Aired

In 2005, the celebrity series Love Island aired for the first time.

2006: Calum Best won Love Island

In 2006, Calum Best won the second and final series of the first iteration of Love Island.

2006: Love Island Second Series Aired

In 2006, the celebrity series Love Island aired for its second and final time.

2012: Most Watched Multichannel Programme

In 2018, the Love Island launch became the most watched multichannel TV programme since the 2012 Summer Olympics were broadcast on BBC Three.

February 2015: Love Island Returning

In February 2015, it was confirmed that Love Island would be returning and would be aired on ITV2, with members of the public rather than celebrities.

April 2015: Caroline Flack Hosting

In April 2015, it was announced that Caroline Flack would be hosting the show.

June 2015: Series Airing

On June 7, 2015, the series began airing with a live special showing the new Islanders entering the villa.

July 2015: Series Ended

On July 15, 2015, the first series ended and was won by Jess Hayes and Max Morley.

February 2016: Second Series Confirmed

On February 14, 2016, the second series of Love Island was confirmed.

May 2016: Second Series Began Airing

On May 30, 2016, the second series of Love Island began airing.

July 2016: Series Two Winners

On July 11, 2016, Cara De La Hoyde and Nathan Massey won the second series of Love Island.

February 2017: Third Series Confirmed

On February 14, 2017, the third series of Love Island was confirmed.

May 2017: Love Island: Aftersun Spin-Off

In May 2017 it was confirmed that a new spin-off show Love Island: Aftersun would air during the third series.

June 2017: Third Series Began Airing

On June 5, 2017, the third series of Love Island began airing.

July 2017: Third Series Ended

On July 24, 2017, Amber Davies and Kem Cetinay won the third series of Love Island.

July 2017: Love Island: The Reunion Broadcast

On July 30, 2017, Love Island: The Reunion was broadcast on ITV2, interviewing the islanders and remembering the most memorable moments from the third series.

October 2017: Chris & Kem: Straight Outta Love Island

On October 1 and 2, 2017, Chris Hughes and Kem Cetinay starred in their own spin-off show, Chris & Kem: Straight Outta Love Island, which followed the popular double act as they write a rap song to perform at a Ministry of Sound club night.

2017: Main Villa Location

Between 2017 and 2021, the main villa was Diseminado Poligono 5 near Sant Llorenç des Cardassar.

2017: First Baby

In 2017, Cally Jane Beech and Luis Morrison became the first couple from the show to have a baby together.

2017: Love Island App Released in 2017

In 2017, ITV Studios Global Entertainment released a Love Island app.

March 2018: Chris and Olivia: Crackin' On

In March 2018, a fly-on-the-wall documentary spin-off titled Chris and Olivia: Crackin' On was aired and followed the life about contestants; Chris Hughes and Olivia Attwood after Love Island and their dramatic split.

June 2018: Fourth Series Airing

On June 4, 2018, the fourth series of Love Island began airing, launching with a record 4,050,000 viewers.

July 2018: Fourth Series Concluded

On July 30, 2018, Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham won the fourth series of Love Island.

September 2018: First Love Island Wedding

On September 15, 2018, Olivia Buckland and Alex Bowen married, becoming the first couple from Love Island to marry.

2018: Love Island: The Morning After podcast

Ahead of the fourth series in 2018, it was revealed that Kem Cetinay would be returning alongside Arielle Free to present Love Island: The Morning After, a new daily podcast show delivering the freshest gossip to fans.

2018: ITV2's Most Watched Show

In 2018, Love Island became ITV2's most watched show in the network's history.

2018: Complaints and Criticisms of the 2018 Series

In 2018, Love Island received 4,100 official complaints regarding aired footage and contestant treatment. Women's Aid criticized the treatment of female contestants, while The Mental Health Foundation highlighted the show's negative impact on viewers' body image. The show also faced criticism for a lack of diversity.

2018: BAFTA TV Award

In 2018, Love Island received the BAFTA TV Award for the Best Reality and Constructed Factual category.

2018: Love Island Pool Party Compilation Albums Released in 2018

Since 2018, Ministry of Sound has released Love Island Pool Party compilation albums. Love Island: The Game was also released in 2018 by Fusebox Games.

January 2019: Jack & Dani: Life After Love Island

In January 2019, Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham starred in Jack & Dani: Life After Love Island. The series followed the pair as they moved in together, got a puppy and took on life outside the villa.

June 2019: Fifth Series Airing

On June 3, 2019, the fifth series of Love Island began broadcasting.

July 2019: Two Series Announced for 2020

On July 24, 2019, ITV announced that two series of Love Island would air in 2020, one in the winter and another in the summer.

July 2019: Fifth Series Concluded

On July 29, 2019, Amber Gill and Greg O'Shea won the fifth series of Love Island.

December 2019: Laura Whitmore Announced as Host

In December 2019, Laura Whitmore was announced as the new host of Love Island, taking over from Caroline Flack.

December 2019: The Boxer & The Ballroom Dancer

In December 2019, Tommy Fury and Curtis Pritchard starred in The Boxer & The Ballroom Dancer, which saw the pair step out of their comfort zones as they swapped jobs.

December 2019: Caroline Flack Stands Down

On December 17, 2019, Caroline Flack announced that she would be standing down as host for the sixth series following allegations of assault towards her boyfriend, Lewis Burton. On December 20, Laura Whitmore was announced as the new host.

January 2020: Winter Series Debut

In January 2020, the winter series of Love Island was broadcast from a new villa in South Africa.

February 2020: Criticism After Flack's Death in February 2020

Following Flack's death in February 2020, social media users called for the cancellation of Love Island. Concerns were raised about the pressures of the show, drawing comparisons to The Jeremy Kyle Show's cancellation after a participant's suicide. Producers subsequently provided training on negativity handling, financial management, and social media.

February 2020: Death of Caroline Flack

On February 15, 2020, Caroline Flack was found dead in her London home, leading ITV to pull two episodes from airing. On February 17, the series continued and Iain Stirling paid tribute to Flack, and Just Eat ads were replaced with a message of kindness.

May 2020: 12 Million People Globally Had Played Love Island: The Game in May 2020

In May 2020, the Evening Standard reported that 12 million people globally had played Love Island: The Game.

May 2020: Summer Show Cancelled

On May 4, 2020, Love Island announced the cancellation of the summer 2020 show due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020: Most Watched TV Show

As of 2020, Love Island was the most watched TV show among its target audience of 16- to 34-year-olds.

2020: Winter Series Villa

The 2020 winter series was filmed at Midden Cottage in the Constantia suburb of Cape Town.

March 2021: Love Island Return Confirmed

On March 4, 2021, ITV confirmed that Love Island would return in the summer after an 18-month hiatus.

August 2021: Eighth Series Announced

In August 2021, an eighth series was announced at the end of series seven.

2021: Main Villa Location

Between 2017 and 2021, the main villa was Diseminado Poligono 5 near Sant Llorenç des Cardassar.

2021: Winter Series Cancelled

In 2020 it was confirmed that the show would not be airing a winter version of the series in 2021 due to uncertainties regarding the pandemic and international travel.

June 2022: Two Series Announced for 2023

Also in June 2022, ITV announced that two series would air in 2023, one in the New Year in South Africa and the second returning to Mallorca in its usual summer slot.

October 2022: Maya Jama Takes Over as Host

On October 12, 2022, ITV2 announced that Maya Jama would be taking over from Whitmore as Love Island host.

November 2022: Ekin-Su and Davide: Homecomings

In November 2022, Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Davide Sanclimenti starred in Ekin-Su and Davide: Homecomings. Following their Series 8 win, the new couple embarked on two trips of a lifetime to Davide's beloved Italy and Ekin-Su's hometown in Turkey.

January 2023: New Podcast Hosts

In January 2023, Sam Thompson and Indiyah Polack were announced as the new hosts of Love Island: The Morning After podcast.

January 2023: Whitmore Stepping Down

On August 22, 2022, Laura Whitmore announced that she would not be returning to host the show's ninth series in January 2023.

September 2023: Love Island: All Stars Announced

In September 2023, ITV officially announced the commissioning of Love Island: All Stars, featuring former contestants from the previous ten series.

November 2023: Love Island Games Premiered

In November 2023, a spin-off, Love Island Games, premiered on Peacock.

2023: Social Media Ban Introduced in 2023

In 2023, a ban on families and friends posting on contestants' social media accounts was initially introduced as part of the show's new duty of care protocols, with a commitment to protecting islanders and their families from the harmful effects of social media.

2023: Winter Series Villa

The villa for the 2023 winter series was the 25-acre Ludus Magnus estate in the Franschhoek wine valley.

January 2024: Amy Hart Joins Podcast

In January 2024, Amy Hart joined the Love Island: The Morning After podcast.

January 2024: Aftersun Reportedly Axed

On January 4, 2024, it was reported that Aftersun would be axed during the Love Island: All Stars series, and that the show would be paused for 2024, and host Maya Jama would instead interview contestants from the South Africa villa, rather than from the London studio.

May 2024: Chris Taylor becomes podcast host

In May 2024, Chris Taylor replaced Sam Thompson as a host of Love Island: The Morning After podcast.

May 2024: ITV Reintroduces Social Media Ban in May 2024

In May 2024, ITV announced the reintroduction of its ban on families and friends posting on contestants' social media accounts ahead of the 2024 summer series. This ban, initially introduced in 2023, aims to protect islanders and their families from the harmful effects of social media.