BACK TO THE VILLA
Winter Love Island launch date confirmed for January in South Africa
WINTER Love Island will begin on January 8.
The new series of the ITV2 smash hit will broadcast from South Africa from the second week of January it has been reported.
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Staff will fly out to the country on New Year's Day to prepare the way for the next batch of islanders who hope to find love on the show according to the .
The newspaper reports that the new singletons will be flown out to South Africa just days before the launch for a six week long show.
It also claims bosses have had a purpose built villa created for the show and are recruiting "test islanders" to ensure maximum drama.
It comes after it was revealed bosses had already lined up a hot footballer-turned model for the brand new winter series.
ITV bosses have reportedly snapped up a "new Tommy Fury"; in Scottish hunk Jay Munro.
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The male model was in the running for the last series of the ITV2 dating show, according to the .
But producers are said to have held him back for the new series which is set to cheer up everyone's January when it hits our screens next year.
“Jay will be the one all the girls will be chasing. Just Tommy Fury, he’s a sportsman, in good shape and has dreamy looks," a source said.
Jay already has 50,000 followers on Instagram and landed a job on The Voice in Australia earlier this year.
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He opened the door for auditionees and viewers quickly named him "the hot door pusher".
He had planned to be a pro-footballer and played in the Falkirk youth team before going full-time with Partick Thistle and Queen of the South.
But he gave up sports to become a full-time model.
The Sun Online has contacted ITV for comment.
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There isn't a set date for the new Winter series but it is expected to take place in January and will be filmed in Cape Town, South Africa.
According to reports, the winter version is set to be filmed after Christmas to fill the gaping hole Channel 5’s Celebrity Big Brother left.
A well-placed telly source told The Sun: “After the flop of Survival of the Fittest producers want to keep the format simple and mop up the gaping hole Celebrity Big Brother left reality TV hungry audiences.
"Winter Love Island makes sense as fans adore the drama and love triangles and everyone wants to enjoy a bit of sun on screens in the cold winter months."
Applications are open NOW if you are looking for love and the closing date is .
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