Love Island All Stars looks set for an explosive start as the returning Islanders discover the familiar faces they’ll be living with before a very awkward fist coupling.
In a first look at Monday’s debut episode Liberty Poole was left openmouthed as she was faced with her ex-boyfriend Jake Cornish walking through the door.
She admitted they hadn’t spoken for two years and could only say ‘Oh my God’ as he came bounding into the South Africa villa.
Yet luck was on Liberty’s side as the awkward reunion with her ex was interrupted by the arrival of her best friend Kaz Kwami who entered the Villa with ‘Messy’ Mitchel Taylor.
Asked if he’d be causing any drama this series after his famous love triangle with Abi Moores and Ella Barnes, Mitch insisted he wasn’t there to stir and was simply looking for love.
Love Island All Stars looks set for an explosive start on Monday as the returning Islanders discover the familiar faces they’ll be living with before a very awkward fist coupling (pictured Liberty Poole and Hannah Elizabeth)
Toby Aromolaran, Mitchel Taylor, Chris Taylor, Jake Cornish, Luis Morrison and Anton Danyluk were the boys returning to the villa
Liberty, 24, and Jake, 26, were originally favourites to win the seventh series of Love Island, but broke up and quit the show just days before the final after Movie Night revelations rocked their romance.
Upon her All Stars casting, Liberty admitted it might be ‘awkward’ coming across an ex-boyfriend in the South African villa, ahead of her face-to-face reunion with Jake.
They were not the only exes reuniting as Toby Aromolaran and Kaz – who were a couple on the show in 2021 before he moved on with Chloe Burrows – also came face-to-face.
Other show legends back to the iconic Love Island villa include Georgia Harrison – who has her eye on Barbie star Chris Taylor, Hannah Elizabeth, Demi Jones and Luis Morrison.
With all of the Islanders in the Villa, Love Island: All Stars host Maya Jama then arrived to greet them, kicking things off immediately with a challenge.
She explained: ‘Obviously this is Love Island: All Stars so things have got to be a little bit different haven’t they.
‘Well, I wonder who out of you fancies each other already? Boys come and stand with me.’
As Maya gathered the boys in front of the fire pit, she said: ‘Girlies, in a minute I am going to ask you to stand next to the boy that you fancy the most.
‘It doesn’t matter if more than one of you stands next to the same boy but you have to make your decision right now. Off you go!’
Luck was on Liberty’s side as the awkward reunion with her ex was interrupted by the arrival of her best friend Kaz Kwami who enters the Villa with ‘Messy’ Mitchel Taylor
Best friends Liberty and Kaz went for a chat to discuss how Liberty was feeling about being reunited with Jake and how the air could be cleared
Georgia Harrison and Demi Jones arrived hand in hand as they strutted into the villa
As the girls made their picks, it appeared that one lucky boy was particularly popular as he was chosen by three of the girls.
Ye all was not as it seemed as Maya went onto reveal a shock twist and informed the Islanders of the public vote.
She revealed: ‘The decision of who you couple up with is not down to any of you… it is down to the public.
‘They have already voted for who will couple up with who and I will be back later tonight to reveal the results of the public vote.’
Ahead of learning who they’d be coupled up with, best friends Liberty and Kaz went for a chat to discuss how Liberty was feeling about being reunited with Jake.
Liberty confessed: ‘You know what babe, I’ll have a chat tonight and because we are exes and we haven’t spoken I want to see exactly where he is at.’
Yet there wasn’t too much time to talk as later that night, Maya re-entered the Villa to gather the Islanders by the pool.
She revealed: ‘Girls earlier today I asked you to reveal who you fancy the most but the decision of who you will couple up with is actually in the hands of the public.
‘Are you ready to find out who they have chosen for you? Let’s do this!’
When asked if he’d be causing any drama this series after his famous love triangle with Abi Moores and Ella Barnes, Mitch insisted he wasn’t there for stir and was simply looking for love
With all of the Islanders in the Villa, Love Island: All Stars host Maya Jama then arrived to greet them, kicking things off immediately with a recoupling
Maya latwer re-entered the Villa to gather the Islanders by the poor for the recoupling
Love Island All Star’s hotly-anticipated launch comes after the show was ‘thrown into chaos’ last month when the cast clubbed together to put pressure on bosses to give them more cash.
After negotations, Love Island’s executive director Mike Spencer told the Mirror: ‘We are paying all of them exactly the same – and yes it’s more than the civilians get.
‘It’s not like the rumours I’ve heard elsewhere, you know some shows it can be £50,000 to appear it’s nothing like that. But I get it. It’s the name of the game to ask for more money. If I was going on the show I’d ask for a million.
‘We say we only want people looking for love and we research and we vet the contestants but only time will tell [what they are here for.],’ he added, insisting viewers would be able to tell if they are in the villa for anything other than finding someone special.
It was claimed last month that the Love Island All Stars contestants were refusing to sign their contracts after claiming a 433% increase on their original fee was simply not enough.
The Sun reported that the singletons were offered £2,000 a week for their appearance in the new villa which works out to be 433 percent more than their original stints, which earned them just £375 every seven days.
A source said: ‘[The cast] are pushing ITV for more cash because they’re saying £2,000 a week isn’t enough.
‘Many of the Islanders rely on their social media deals to make cash and by going into the villa, their revenue source will be down.’
Love Island All Stars kicks off at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX
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