ITV HAS ANNOUNCED that this year’s series of Love Island has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The seventh series of the show will now take place in 2021 instead.

The show has proven a huge ratings hit for ITV in recent years, but has also attracted controversy amid concerns for the well-being of some previous contestants.

In a statement this morning, the broadcaster’s Director of Television Kevin Lygo said that it was not logistically possible to produce the show this year in a way that safeguarded the wellbeing of those involved.

“In normal circumstances we would be preparing very soon to travel out to the location in Mallorca to get the villa ready but clearly that’s now out of the question,” he said.

“We are very sorry for fans of the show but making it safely is our prime concern and Love Island will be back stronger than ever in 2021.”

Posting on Twitter after news of the postponement broke, host Laura Whitmore said there had been “more applications than any other series” for this year’s series.

The Irish presenter replaced the late Caroline Flack as the host of the show last December.