Love Island viewers to ‘play cupid’ and take control of first coupling

The first coupling on the upcoming series of Love Island will be decided by viewers, it has been announced.

The eighth series of the popular ITV2 dating show launches on Monday at a brand new villa in Majorca.

Speaking to Christine Lampard on ITV’s Lorraine, the voice of the show, Iain Stirling, revealed a plot twist for the new series, saying: “I’m coming at you now with a big fat exclusive. We’re mixing things up this year I can tell you.

“This year, for the first year ever, we want you guys at home to play Cupid, and you will have your say on which boy couples up with which girl.

“All you have to do is go over to the Love Island app right now and decide who you want to couple up with who.

“The poll is live right now, and the poll will close again tomorrow morning at 9am. It’s a fantastic poll, where you get to decide who’s being coupled up with who.”

The show’s first 11 islanders were announced on social media last week.

The starting line-up includes former England striker Michael Owen’s daughter Gemma and dancer Tasha Ghouri, who has a cochlear implant and is the show’s first deaf contestant.

Responding to Stirling, whose wife Laura Whitmore will return to host the show, Lampard asked: “So we hold all the power for this week at least?”

Stirling said: “I feel like the viewers at home, yeah, you get to look at all the Islanders, get a vibe, see who you think suits who, or maybe who isn’t suited to who and put them together and we can watch the fireworks fly.”

The 34-year-old presenter and comedian also suggested that the upcoming series would be the most “sexy” series yet.

“It’s sexy. Look at me, I’ve even got a white shirt on – I’m sexy this year, it’s unbelievable,” he said.

“I’d nearly undone this button but I was told I wasn’t allowed to, it was too early in the morning.”

Love Island launches on ITV2 on June 6 at 9pm.