Love Barry Island, anyone..?

It's looking fairly likely that Love Island may need to abandon its Majorca roots this summer and instead, move closer to home. Following the news that the 2021 summer series would, indeed go ahead, came the expected news that things in the UK and Ireland may not be entirely "back to normal" by the time the summer months roll round. So, in order to bypass inevitable criticism should the show fly a host of beautiful, fame hungry singletons to Spain for the summer, Love Island producers are sussing out some potential spots for this year's series which would require minimal travel - in Cornwall, Torquay, and even the iconic Barry Island. “Love Island is a huge franchise for the channel," a source told The Sun. “As well as bringing in loads of much-needed younger viewers it’s a cash cow. But, as a precautionary measure, producers have looked at several UK sites to hold the series, so if travel restrictions remain strict they have a back-up plan. “Cornwall has been optioned, as well as Torquay, the Isles of Scilly and even Barry Island, where Gavin and Stacey was filmed." While there will be fewer travel restrictions in place if the show is filmed at home, there will still be elements of the programme affected by the change - namely the weather. “ITV bosses are also worried about a fan backlash against the show if contestants are allowed to go away claiming work reasons but the rest of the country is still stuck at home," the source continued. “Of course, there are obvious weather restrictions with a UK location — and viewers will see a lot less skin.” Like The Great British Bake Off and I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here, a Covid reality TV set will mean that all contestants - and potential contestants - will need to enter a bubble before filming commences. It's unclear how this would affect a show like Love Island, which has in the past flown its bombshells out last minute to enter the villa. Regardless, nothing has been confirmed by ITV just yet, so we shall simply have to wait and see.