Love Island 2021 production secrets: 17 juicy facts about how producers make the show

For lunch and dinner Islanders eat picky bits on fold up tables and chairs


There’s a certain mystery around Love Island. It’s one of those shows that everyone is obsessed with, and we’re equally as hooked by how the illusive producers work their magic and create the show which has us all on the edge of our seats for eight weeks, every single year. This year is no different, and the production secrets behind Love Island 2021 are very, very juicy.

2021 contestant, Chloe Burrows’, ex even said that Chloe herself “was obsessed with the behind-the-scenes action and how they manipulate situations and make people have conversations”. We all have questions. Do they really film recouplings in the early hours of the morning? How many cameras actually are there this year? What food do they eat? Who cleans the villa?

It’s time to answer all your questions. Here are the juiciest production secrets behind making Love Island 2021.

The juiciest Love Island 2021 production secrets and how the producers really make the show

via ITV

Recouplings can take up to four hours to film

It looks like the recouplings take about half an hour and then all is done. But past Islander, Amy Hart, has said they actually take hours to film in their entirety. They are quite often filmed late at night and in the earlier hours of the morning, and in a TikTok Amy said the normal recouplings take up to two hours to film, whilst the big Casa Amor recoupling takes four.

And yes, things can be filmed more than once

If you were under the illusion that Love Island is completely natural and pure, and not at all staged – I am sorry to burst your bubble. Scenes such as Islander entrances and exits, and dramatic conversations and moments are filmed more than once, to make sure everything is perfect and no drama is ever missed. This year, Hugo’s kiss with Amy was reportedly filmed FIVE times, which really does explain the “job done” line. Tiring.

Most of the food is provided by a catering company and the Islanders eat on fold up tables and chairs

Most of the food the Islanders eat is provided for them by an on-site catering company. They get choice of breakfast which they make themselves, but this is just simple things like fruits, cereal and toast which they make in the kitchen area. Lunch and dinners are cooked for the Islanders, and they are told when it is ready for them. 2021 Islander, Georgia Townend, said in an Instagram Q and A that it was mainly meat, fish, salad and picky bits. She added they would eat their meals on fold away tables and chairs in the kitchen area.

There’s a reason why the Islanders eating doesn’t get shown on TV

Sometimes, you might think it would be quite fun to watch the Islanders sit down and eat their food, but unfortunately it’s not going to happen. There are a number of reasons why not, with Georgia Townend confirming the main two are that it won’t make great TV to watch the contestants eating, and because they actually get their microphone batteries changed at this time – so not everyone is mic’d up and ready to go.

Series three’s Olivia Attwood added in an interview with Vice: “If there were any problems, they would discuss them with us [at meal times] – if the villa was too messy, or they’d moan at us for not wearing sunscreen. It was like having a sit down dinner with your mum and dad.”

The juiciest Love Island 2021 production secrets and how the producers really make the show

via ITV

There are parts of the villa that the Islanders don’t even see?!

Shock! There are actually parts of the villa that the Islanders and the public never get to see. According to reports, the back wall of the bedroom is false and behind there is actually the villa kitchen where their food gets prepared!! There is also said to be an unused bedroom and bathroom upstairs in the villa, which is next to the Beach Hut and is used to store kit.

via ITV

The Beach Hut chats can be natural, or dictated by the producers

The Islanders seem to spend a lot of time in the Beach Hut, chatting away to the cameras. These chats can be completely natural and by choice of the Islanders, or the producers can call them in and ask them to discuss something. 2021 Islander Georgia said: “The Beach Hut is open to you whenever you want and it’s kind of a bit of a time-out zone. The night I couldn’t sleep I went in there to talk to a producer. It’s a two way street: They [producers] might call you in to get your thoughts and opinion on something that’s just happened. It’s a way you can talk to producers without them being on screen.”

There’s a strict limit on how much alcohol the Islanders can drink

If you watched previous Love Island series, you might think that Islanders used to get a lot more drunk and now it seems quite tame. And that’s because it really, really is. There is a strict two drink limit a night for the contestants, and the first is usually something communal like the bottles of prosecco we often see them with. There’s also a limit on what the Islanders can drink, with only beer and wine on the menu – apart from the communal fizz bottles. Drinks are pre-poured for the Islanders too, so there is absolutely no risk of anyone going over their designated amount.

Regarding this year’s rules, a show source told The Sun: “There have been no changes to how much alcohol Islanders can consume this series, and the amount of booze remains limited.”

The juiciest Love Island 2021 production secrets and how the producers really make the show

via ITV

There’s a medic on site for Islanders who have any prescriptions

Ex-Islander, Eva Zapico, posted a TikTok video of her most frequently asked questions about her time on the show. She says she gets asked a lot about whether or not Islanders are allowed to have their own tablets and medications with them in the villa, and she said there is a medic on site who will give you your prescriptions at the right time.

There’s no concept of time when you’re in the villa

It’s long been said that there are no clocks, or concept of time or the outside world for the Islanders in the villa. Past Islanders have said they have attempted to use the sun as a guide to what time it might roughly be. Dumped 2021 Islander, Georgia, confirmed it’s exactly the same this year, and she entered the villa at around half three in the morning. She said that her, Abi and Tyler, who entered the villa together, were laughing at the other Islanders because they were all eating at 4am.

The villa is actually smaller than it looks on the TV

Ex-2021 Islander, Georgia, said that the villa was very different to how it looked on the TV. In an Instagram video she said: “It was so much smaller than I expected! Also the layout is really weird, some things are upstairs that you don’t expect to be and visa versa.”

The Islanders wear sunglasses in bed because of the lights!!

The juiciest Love Island 2021 production secrets and how the producers really make the show

via ITV

It’s weird that the Islanders all sit in bed in the morning wearing their sunglasses, right? 2021 dumped Islander, Aaron Francis, has finally revealed exactly why they all do it. It’s basically because they are suddenly woken up by blinding lights in the villa. Aaron said in a TikTok: “Yo, I don’t think you guys understand how bright those lights are. They are blindingly bright. That’s why everyone’s wearing sunglasses in the morning. I used to watch previous series and be like, ‘why are you wearing sunglasses in bed?’ And now I know why. It’s bright and it wakes you up immediately, I promise.”

There’s a tannoy system in the villa which tells the Islanders off

There are very strict rules in the villa regarding what the contestants can and can’t do, mainly what they should talk about. They are not allowed to discuss the outside world or things like current affairs, or anything like brand names or TV shows. “You’re not allowed to really talk about the outside world that much, obviously you can’t talk about brands and things,” series one contestant Chris Williamson told the BBC. “There’s a tannoy system where they come over like a mother telling off naughty children, reminding you that you’re not supposed to be talking about this or that.”

One time an ex-contestant went to have a nap upstairs and just as they fell asleep the voice said: “Hello, we’re making a TV show, it’s not a holiday.” So they had to go back downstairs to make some more chit chat. The ex-contestant told The Tab: “If conversation starts drifting away and you start talking about the outside world they’re like “guys we can’t play this.” There is also always a producer on-site, who will often suggest topics of conversation.

Some of the villa cameras are obvious, whilst some are more hidden, and there are more this year than ever

It’s previously been reported that there are 73 cameras in the villa, used to film all the action. However this year there are 80, more than ever before. Former Islander, Eva, added that some of these are very obvious, and some are hidden. Arabella Chi, from series five, added: “There are cameras watching you when you are on the toilet but they are cameras not for the public to see.” There are also said to be hidden microphones dotted around the villa so that nothing the Islanders say ever goes unnoticed.

via ITV

The Islanders can text one another, as well as the producers, on their phones

Past Islanders have described the phones they get given as “basic” – because they still don’t give the contestants any link to the outside world. They are basically used for the “I’ve got a text” announcements, taking pictures in the villa, and the Islanders can text one another’s phones and the producers. Harley, who was on Love Island 2017, told OK Magazine: “‘We have an Island chat where we can talk amongst the Islanders and then Love Island can contact you so any big event in the villa you receive by text.”

The Islanders do use their phones to have secret conversations. Speaking to OK Magazine, Adam Collard of Love Island 2018 said he and Zara McDermott used to message each other under the covers in bed, so people couldn’t overhear their conversations. “We used to write messages to each other when we were in bed so other people couldn’t hear what we were saying,” he said. “We deleted our messages but the producers told me that they still have them all.”

The Islanders have professionals come and visit the villa to do their hair and nails for them

The Islanders now have a professional come into the villa every so often who does things like their hair and nails for them, which is much more than Islanders from previous series had. Laura Whitmore confirmed in an interview that on a Saturday, when the show isn’t filming, Islanders are a lot more free to do what they want and “their eyelashes and acrylic nails get redone.” She added: “Apparently in the first series, they left the villa to go to a salon to have their hair done but now, because the show is so big, they can’t, so they have a girl who comes in to do their roots and stuff.” In terms of getting makeup done for them, the only time the Islanders have this chance is for the final – when a makeup artist is brought in.

The juiciest Love Island 2021 production secrets and how the producers really make the show

via ITV

They also get given clothes in the villa

You might see the Islanders arrive with their personalised suitcases crammed full, but there is also a lot of clothing provided inside the villa. Love Island often does partnerships with brands such as I Saw It First, which includes a whole wardrobe of clothes such as dresses for the girls, all ready in the villa. Of course, they don’t have to wear the clothes if they don’t want to, and a lot of Islanders will just wear what they packed.

The villa is cleaned once a week

The Islanders don’t have to do their own cleaning, although watching them run around with feather dusters would be fun, as the villa is cleaned once a week. A cleaner will come in and do things like washing the sheets, general cleaning and their laundry is done for them.

Love Island 2021 continues on ITV2 at 9pm tonight. For all the latest Love Island news and gossip and for the best memes and quizzes, like The Holy Church of Love Island on Facebook. 

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