If you've never heard of the show "Love Island," please let me enlighten you. This ITV British dating reality show is hosted by television presenter Caroline Flack (who apparently dated Harry Styles back in the day) and stars a "cast of hot young singles who have come looking for a summer of love and romance in Majorca." The contestants spend their summer living together under constant video surveillance in a luxury secluded villa. It's basically "Big Brother" with bikinis.
The show follows the journey of contestants, known as the "Islanders," as they couple up (for love or friendship), compete in games and challenges and *hopefully* find love. Couples can be eliminated off the island via public vote on the Love Island app each week, and whichever couple receives the most votes in the last week will win and take home £50,000. Naturally, a show based on a bunch of hot young people coupling up and competing for money has led to some pretty crazy fights, hook-ups and love triangles.
Regardless of your feelings on dating reality shows, the season five finale of "Love Island" aired last week and had a whopping viewership of 3.6 million people, making it the most-watched program in the history of ITV. The immense popularity of "Love Island" has spun off numerous international versions in Australia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway and Sweden.
Well look out, America! The U.S. TV network CBS announced on Wednesday that it bought the rights to an American spinoff of "Love Island" after seeing it become a cultural phenomenon abroad.
Some people are pretty excited for the American adaption:
While others are worried that America will mess up the British show (as we've done before):
And some people aren't fans of any version of "Love Island," period.
As much as I'd like to hate on this show, in all honesty I'll probably catch an episode or two.