The Love Island All Stars finale did not seem to reinvigorate the show’s ratings, according to overnight numbers from ratings body Barb. The conclusion of the spin-off series was watched by just over 1 million people on Monday. ITV’s own figures, which include streaming service ITVX, indicated that 1.3 million viewers tuned in, a number consistent with last year’s winter final.
Instead of introducing new faces, ITV brought back former contestants for its latest iteration of the show. Prior to the start of the new series, returning islander Georgia Harrison told BBC Newsbeat that All Stars would be “absolute TV Gold”. Fan favorites such as Kaz Kamwi, Liberty Poole, Georgia Steel, Hannah Elizabeth, and Anton Danyluk joined her in the villa.
Although the islanders claimed to be in search of love, they were reportedly paid significantly more than first-time participants. In a Love Island first, the All Stars premiere was broadcast simultaneously on ITV1 and ITV2, though only ITV2 aired the finale. Molly Smith from series six and Tom Clare from series nine emerged as the winners in South Africa.
The first series of Love Island, which aired in 2015, saw modest success with finalists Jon Clark and Hannah Elizabeth getting engaged. However, it wasn’t until 2017 that the show became a cultural sensation. The fifth series in 2019 set viewing records with 6 million viewers tuning in for the finale, which remains the most-watched episode to date. Contestants such as Amber Gill, Molly-Mae Hague, and Maura Higgins became household names following their participation. However, ratings have been declining since then, with the 2023 series premiere attracting 1.3 million viewers.
Over the years, the show has had to implement significant changes regarding its duty of care towards contestants following the suicides of two former participants. Training for contestants was also introduced after producers were accused by charities of failing to address “controlling behavior” in the villa.
