Ex On The Beach is set to return with a brand new series, with MTV bosses are currently casting for the show.
And fans can expect to see some familiar faces, with sources revealing to MailOnline that Too Hot To Handle’s Francesca Farago has ‘signed up’ for the new series that is set to see Ex On The Beach’s first lesbian couple.
The reality star’s rumoured addition to the series comes after Love Island bosses ruled out a version of the much-loved ITV2 dating show featuring gay contestants.
Back onscreen: Too Hot To Handle’s Francesca Farago has ‘signed up’ for the new series of Ex On The Beach that is set to see the show’s first lesbian couple, sources have revealed
Ex On The Beach sees celebrity contestants jetting off overseas to live together in a luxury villa, while under the illusion they’ll be finding love in the sun. On touching down, they’re soon told that their former flames will be rocking up to surprise them.
Former seasons have seen a slew of celebs take part in the show, including Geordie Shore’s Gaz Beadle, Charlotte Crosby and Marnie Simpson.
Ibiza Weekender’s Jordan Davies and TOWIE’s Megan McKenna featured on series three and four of Ex On The Beach, while last year’s series, filmed in Marbella, saw the likes of Joey Essex and Love Island’s Michael Griffiths and Ellie Brown sign up.
This time round, insiders claim Netflix star Francesca will be taking centre stage.
It’s back: Ex On The Beach will be filming a new series of the hit dating show early next year
Blast from the past: Francesca could be reunited with exes Harry Jowsey and TOWIE star Demi Sims on the series that sees celebs confronted by their former flames
She first found fame on the first season of Too Hot To Handle, where she struck up a relationship with ex-boyfriend Harry Jowsey.
Since then, Francesca has made headlines thanks to her whirlwind relationship with TOWIE star Demi Sims.
Her addition to EOTB suggests that both Harry and Demi could potentially appear on the show as her exes.
Fans will no doubt be curious to see how Francesca would handle being confronted by a blast from the past, especially as insiders have teased EOTB will feature its first lesbian relationship.
Francesca opened up about her split with Demi in May and revealed she and ex-girlfriend Demi were ‘not on good terms’ following their break up. So much so, that the brunette beauty claims Demi ”blocked her, deleted her and told her to leave London’ after they split.
Rumours she is due to appear on Ex On The Beach come after rival dating show Love Island ruled out the possibility of featuring gay contestants on the ITV2 series.
Former flame: Francesca found fame on Netflix’s Too Hot To Handle where she struck up a romance with ex-boyfriend Harry Jowsey (pictured above)
Making headlines: Francesca and Demi (pictured left) enjoyed a whirlwind relationship that saw the pair move in together straight away
Awkward: Francesca claimed things ‘didn’t end on good terms’ with ex-girlfriend Demi, suggesting an explosive reunion could be on the cards
Despite previously featuring a number of bisexual contestants, including Katie Salmon, Megan Barton Hanson and the late Sophie Gradon, channel boss Kevin Lygo told the Edinburgh TV Festival the hit show ‘is about girls and boys coupling up’,
He added ‘we haven’t yet found a way’ to make Love Island more inclusive.
Lygo commented: ‘Love Island is a particular thing, of course, it’s about boys and girls coupling up.
‘So if you wanted to do a gay version, or you wanted to widen it, it is discussed and we haven’t yet found a way that would make it suitable for that show.’
This idea has been bounced around with ITV bosses, but they ruled out the possibility of having an LGBTQ+ show, with commissioner Amanda Stavri telling Radio Times in June: ‘In terms of gay Islanders, I think the main challenge is regarding the format of Love Island.
Ruled out: As EOTB prepares to welcome its first lesbian couple, Love Island bosses ruled out a version of the ITV2 dating show with gay contestants
‘There’s a sort of logistical difficulty because although Islanders don’t have to be 100 percent straight, the format must sort of give Islanders an equal choice when coupling up.’
The debate for an LGBTQ+ friendly version of Love Island has gone on for years, with the show producer Richard Cowles once saying that they would be open to a separate sexually-diverse spin-off.
ITV’s Paul Mortimer then shut down the idea by stating that ‘the format doesn’t really allow it.’
Meanwhile, it’s rumoured the new series of Ex On The Beach will take place in Colombia, South America.
TV insiders claim bosses have secured the exotic location in a bid to ‘really ramp up’ the next series of the show.
Bigger and better: EOTB is set to whisk its celebrity stars off to a luxury villa in Colombia, South America for its new series according to TV insiders (pictured above Joey Essex and ex Lorena Medina)
‘They’ve found an incredible location in Colombia in South America and plan to fly out the eight single stars for filming in the New Year,’ sources revealed to The Sun.
‘Obviously a jaunt that far afield is going to attract bigger names than the idea of a two-week holiday in Spain so they have high hopes for the talent they want to sign up.’
They added that everything is ‘dependent’ on travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic, but Ex On The Beach’s new series has been given the ‘green light’ and casting is underway.
The insiders added: ‘ Ex On The Beach is all about scandal and explosive confrontations so the locals won’t know what’s hit them when the celebs finally arrive.’
So far, a return date and the final lineup for the series is yet to be confirmed.
MailOnline has reached out to a spokesperson for MTV.
All systems go: Filming in South America is ‘dependent’ on travel restrictions amid pandemic, but Ex On The Beach’s new series has been given ‘green light’ and casting is underway