Gale-force winds hit the brand-new South African villa just days after host Maya Jama made her debut, throwing the launch of Love Island 2023 into chaos.
The brand new series of Love Island is due to kick off on Monday evening
Tonight is the premiere of Love Island 2023, and a storm front has blown across the South African villa’s pool and garden, threatening to disrupt the festivities.
As the crew tried to film the opening scenes with host Maya Jama, the brand-new £1.2 million mansion in Cape Town was pummeled by gusts of wind reaching speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.
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On Monday, January 16th, viewers will get their first look at new host Maya, 28. She arrived by helicopter.
But when the evening came, islanders were said to be “shivering” around the firepit trying to stay warm, while Maya attempted to avoid suffering a wardrobe mishap in a slinky dress as the wind increased.
It’s been speculated that “every department” was impacted by the bad weather, and that sound engineers had a hard time recording clear audio for the show’s opening scenes because of the lightning and thunder.
A source told The Sun: “ITV have big plans for this series to be more epic than ever, and were really excited about Maya’s big arrival on the helicopter so thank God that footage was all in the can before the winds crept up. But by the time it came to filming in the evening it had really kicked up a gear. It caused mayhem.
“Every department was affected — sound, lighting, cameras, wardrobe.”
They added: “And poor Maya could’ve done without the worry of her dress whipping up on her first day on set. None of the Islanders expected to be shivering around the fire pit either, but it came into its own.”
This news follows a teaser for the new series in which a chopper pilot announces, “Maya Jama, on board.”
With the turn of the new year and the opening of the villa, Maya is heard saying, “It’s a new year, in a brand new Villa, it’s a stunning location ready for some sexy singles looking for love, all we need now are some Islanders.”
Maya wore a low-cut green tie-dye maxi dress and towering strappy heels to highlight her incredible figure.
When Maya sees a group of single people, she extends a warm welcome, saying: “Hello boys, you alright, shall we have a little chat?”
In a plunging green dress, Maya Jama looks stunning as she teases ten attractive singles that they are ready to “grab love by the horns.”
A group of ten attractive singles will enter the villa tonight, eager to seize love by the bull by the horns. Bring the flames to the fire pit and get to work.
Maya announces the return of the dating show tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX as the show’s signature music plays in the background.
