Do you have plans for tonight at 9pm? Well, now you do. Get ready to sit in front of the TV and turn your channel to ITV2 or ITVHub. Although it feels like a lifetime, there have been 287 days since Love Island season 7 ended, but the wait is no more.

No matter if you are a fan or not, you likely know that one of the UK’s most popular reality shows is coming back to our screens. Like it or not- you’ll have to be prepared for it to consume pretty much all media outlets for the next few weeks. Love Island is always the most talked-about show during the summer, and it now even has its own national holiday. The date that Love Island starts each year has now become known as Love Island Day- a time to get excited for all fans of the show.

The show increases in popularity each year and it is now officially the most-watched show that ITV2 has ever aired and is a hit with many UK viewers. Therefore, it probably comes at no surprise that viewers wanted an entire day dedicated to the start of the ‘Love Island Season’.

Season 8 changes

New villa

Although the creators of Love Island always like to throw the odd surprise in for contestants and viewers, some tea has already been spilled. We are expecting the classic aspects such as texts, firepit chats, and a villa we could only dream of staying in.

Speaking of the iconic villa, a Love Island spokesperson said, “The ultimate summer of love is on the horizon as Love Island makes its long-awaited return, direct from a brand-new villa in Mallorca”. For five iconic years, the Mallorca villa has been the host to many memorable scenes and contestants- it will be missed. However, the new villa is just as beautiful, with the same colourful interiors and amazing views of the Spanish countryside.

Sustainability

One of the most interesting changes has been Love Island’s partnership with eBay this season, in order to supply the contestants with pre-loved clothing. In previous years, the show has been sponsored by fast-fashion brands such as ISAWITFIRST, in which contestants would be kitted out in the brand’s items from head to toe. Yet, as soon as the new season starts today, the islanders will be wearing a more sustainable array of clothes, and will even be provided with a shared wardrobe- which is another first for the show.

Jemma Tagg, head of fashion at eBay UK said: “We’re so excited to partner with Love Island this year and put pre-loved fashion, centre stage. The impact of Love Island and its stars across the UK is undeniable and together we want to inspire the nation to choose pre-loved first when shopping – even if this means buying or selling one or two pre-loved items to start with, it’s a step in the right direction.”

Another step in the right direction for sustainability is the removal of the food challenges. The classic ‘Spit the Roast’ task began in 2015, in which Islanders would pass the contents of a Sunday roast to each other using only their mouths. Many viewers complained about this challenge and producers have listened!

How to celebrate Love Island Day

So, how should you celebrate Love Island Day? The first act we would recommend is to watch Love Island, especially on the day it is released. Obviously, ITV offers the ability to catch up with the show if you miss it, but we can almost guarantee that social media and other media outlets will be flooded with spoilers and updates as soon as the show starts. So, if you cannot watch tonight, maybe cease contact with the rest of the world until you can watch?

If you would like to take your Love Island appreciation further, you could even host an impromptu viewing party with some fellow fans- or even introduce newbies to the show. The show is much more exciting when you can discuss the drama with other people who actually know what you are talking about, so this could be a great option.

Using Love Island on Social Media

As previously mentioned, Love Island is definitely going to be filling your social media feed- like it or not. You could use #LoveIsland and share some relevant content around the show. We anticipate viral TikTok sounds from the show and some more iconic memes. Keep your eye out for trending Love Island content and see how content creators use this to their advantage.

So, are you a Love Island fan? Will you be joining in the hype and sharing Love Island content?

Tinisha Osu is a Marketing Executive with two degrees in Psychology. She is the first-author of a published psychology paper and is beginning her career in marketing through blog-writing, creating social media content and running marketing campaigns.