‘Love Island’ bosses are considering making a LGBTQ+ version of the show and airing two series a year.
Producer Richard Cowles has confirmed the makers of the programme – which landed its first-ever Reality & Constructed Factual TV BAFTA last night (13.05.18) – are "open" to having another "dedicated version" of the series for same-sex couples, which could see more than one ‘Love Island’ air on an annual basis.
Speaking backstage at the Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Sunday, Richard said: "We’ve had bisexual people in the show before. It’s a dating show and what makes that quite difficult is you need everyone to fancy everyone, so it’s quite hard to get people who are gay and heterosexual in the same place, because simply enough, they don’t fancy each other.
"I think we’d have to have a dedicated show for that. We’re open to everything. We’d always try to include everyone. Absolutely, we’d consider two series a year."
Richard admitted the producers are constantly having to rip up their plans for the series because the unexpected is always happening on the ITV2 show.
He added: "Everyone is reacting to what’s happening in the villa and then the format is being written as it happens. So whatever plans we have as they go into the villa, they get ripped up pretty much every hour as the cast goes in.
"Everything we predicted hasn’t happened and everything is happening is more exciting than we predicted, and we just go for it."
‘Love Island’ crew and cast members, including 2017 contestants Chris Hughes and Marcel Somerville, celebrated their success on a boozy boat on the River Thames.
Producer Sarah Tyekiff added: "We have got 250 crew members on a boat down the Thames and after supper we will be going there. It’s very exciting."
Chris admitted he couldn’t wait to change his social media profile to reflect the BAFTA win.
Speaking to BANG Showbiz after collecting the prize, Chris said: "For an audience to be so captivated and invest their time into other people’s relationships, I think that’s why it’s so special.
"It’s just a beautiful show. Marcel is going to change is Instagram bio to BAFTA winner, and I think I’m going to do the same."
Marcel added: "For me being in the villa and being around people you’ve just met in a week and being able to build bonds with them, it was amazing to see all the friendships blossoming.
"It was just nice to be part of it. I’m happy. I can’t say much more."
‘Love Island’ beat off competition from ‘Celebrity Hunted’, ‘Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds’ and ‘The Real Full Monty’ to land the Reality & Constructed Factual prize.
Love Island bosses hint at LGBTQ+ version
