Love Island’s winter series in South Africa will see contestants come face-to-face with venomous snakes, poisonous spiders, vicious scorpions and hungry big cats.
Those looking for love on the forthcoming instalment of the dating show, which will be filmed early next year, won’t just need to be on the lookout for players and heartbreakers as they’ll also have to watch where they put their feet, check the pool before they dive in and lift up the toilet seat before they plonk their bottoms down.
A source told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre TV column: "Health and safety experts will be specially drafted in to help look out for deadly snakes and other poisonous creepy-crawlies.
"There will be a specialist medic on hand, too, so contestants can get urgent medical attention. Plus, if necessary, facilities to chopper them to a local hospital.
"This is a very different kettle of fish to filming in mainland Europe.
"The South African outback is a hive of wildlife activity and exactly why it is a top destination for safaris. Scorpions and spiders are likely to be lurking in contestants’ shoes — these won’t kill you but they will put you in hospital if you’re bitten.
"The advice will be to close all windows and doors, not to go out at night alone and to use protective sprays, wear long clothing and check beds, shoes and clothes before getting dressed."
And it’s not just the contestants that will need to be on high alert during their time in the luxury villa, as presenter Caroline Flack and narrator Iain Stirling will also need to sleep with one eye open in case there are any creepy-crawlies lurking around.
A spokesperson for ITV said: "As with all of our productions, the health and safety of both our cast and crew is our number one priority."
Love Island’s winter series will be plagued with creepy crawlies
