Winter Love Island bosses have reportedly increased security at the luxurious South African mansion used for the show, called Casa Amor.
According to SunITV has hired “armed guards” for Ludus Magnus’ villa in Franschhoek amid fears that the cast and crew on set could be attacked by kidnapping gangs.
Electric gates, CCTV with night vision, alarm beams, a police hotline and guards at the perimeters of the property are some of the security measures reported in place, with a Insider told the publication: “The safety of both the contestants and the crew is our greatest concern and must come first.”
‘Safety of both contestants and crew is our greatest concern’: Winter Love Island bosses have reportedly ‘increased security’ at Casa Amor amid kidnapping fears by South African criminal gangs.
“There is a hotline at the local police station and private armed response companies, so if any threat is bigger than expected, the heavy cavalry would be on their way in seconds,” the source said.
The source said the villa is perfectly located for security as it is “far away from the main road” and intruders could easily be “intercepted”.
‘The goal is to make Ludus as safe as possible, without terrifying the contestants. We want them to feel relaxed and comfortable during the show,’ they added.
Reigning Champions: The Winter Debut Series aired in January 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, and was won by Paige Turley and Finn Tapp.
Everyone on set will also reportedly have a “security briefing” amid the crime wave in South Africa.
The stunning Winter Love Island villa was revealed in November.
Sources told MailOnline at the time that the South African mansion is the “best villa” yet.
It was reported at the time that show bosses were making the safety of the islanders their top priority after intruders had been seen breaking through in previous villas.
Safe House: Electric gates, CCTV with night vision, alarm beams, a police hotline, and guards at property perimeters are some of the security measures reported.
The oversized luxury eco retreat boasts stunning mountain views and is located in a ‘protected area’ in the heart of the Franschhoek wine valley on South Africa’s ‘millionaire’s row’.
The largest yet in the entire series, the villa features a giant pool and is surrounded by palm trees and costs around £430 per night per room.
It is also environmentally friendly as the property is 100% isolated from the grid, allowing it to generate its own electricity, water and numerous sources of food.
Last month MailOnline revealed that Casa Amor is on the same site as the main villa.
The winter debut series aired in January 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, and was won by Paige Turley and Finn Tapp.
Stunning – Oversized luxury eco retreat boasts stunning mountain views and is located in a ‘protected area’ in the heart of the Franschhoek wine valley on South Africa’s ‘Millionaires Row’.
Plans for a second winter series have been shelved in 2021 amid concerns surrounding the pandemic.
Paige and Finn said after the announcement: “Love Island allowed us to find love with someone who without the show, our paths would never have crossed.”
We both found everything we asked for in a couple and now live together in Manchester (we’ve been here for almost two years). We have an amazing new set of friends and we literally couldn’t imagine life without each other.
Congratulations: While Winter Love Island was shelved amid the pandemic, the summer series aired this year with a whopping 3.4 million viewers tuning in to watch Ekin-Su Cülcüloglu and Davide Sanclimenti be crowned the 2022 winners.
Paul Mortimer, Director of Reality Commissioning and Controller, ITV2, said: “Love Island has once again proven to be the nation’s favorite summer talking point, and we are always impressed by the show’s continued impact and talkability. among our younger audience. .
“So instead of just offering one Summer of Love, we thought we’d make 2023 the Year of Love with two full series of the show.”
This Winter Love Island series will also get a new host after Laura Whitmore resigned from the show, with Maya Jama confirmed as her replacement.
Maya said in a statement: ‘I have always been a huge fan of Love Island and am so excited to be hosting one of the nation’s favorite shows! I can’t wait to get into the Villa to meet all the islanders.
MailOnline has contacted ITV for comment in relation to this article.
The series’ start date will reportedly be Monday, January 16.
New Host – This Winter Love Island series will also get a new host after Laura Whitmore resigned from the show, with Maya Jama confirmed as her replacement.