It’s the dating show that swept Britain into a fever last summer, spawning endless memes, spin-off shows and a celebrity following.
And as Love Island makes its hotly-anticipated debut Down Under on Sunday, Daily Mail Australia explains how the raunchy competition works.
From ruthless ‘re-couplings’ to an explosive twist during the finale, the 9Go exclusive is bound to have viewers hooked.
Sexy singletons, ruthless re-couplings and X-rated bedroom antics: Inside Love Island’s formula for romance… and the explosive finale twist that will shock everyone
How it works
Five men and five women are sent to a lavish villa on the Spanish island of Mallorca, where the UK version was also filmed.
They are completely cut off from the outside world and under constant surveillance.
The sexy singletons do, however, receive mobile phones which serve the purpose of alerting them to upcoming dates.
In-between dates, the contestants will take part in X-rated group tasks ranging from competitive kissing to sex position challenges.
Exciting: Five men and five women are sent to a lavish villa on the Spanish island of Mallorca – where the UK version was filmed. Pictured, this year’s contestants including Cassidy (L) and Charlie (R)
Coupling up
The genetically-blessed guys and girls ‘couple up’ the minute the enter the villa and before they’ve even spoken to each other.
They line up facing each other and the girls take it in turns to choose the boy who they most like the look of.
They’re not obliged to stay together and can swap couples in the villa, a tactic that causes explosive rows as new contestants enter the house.
Straight in at the deep end: The genetically-blessed guys and girls ‘couple up’ the minute the enter the villa and before they’ve even spoken to each other. Pictured, last year’s winners Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies)
How the daters get eliminated
Each week, the contestants announce who they want to stay ‘coupled up’ with in a ceremony.
It’s a fight or flight scenario – meaning whoever is left single will be sent back home.
However, as the couples start to build stronger connections throughout the series, the public gets to decide who is eliminated through a voting system.
Viewers get to vote for their favourite couples, and by the finale only three will be left standing.
Ready to sizzle: Each week, the daters announce who they want to stay ‘coupled up’ in a ceremony. It’s a fight or flight scenario – meaning whoever is left single will be sent back home
Explosive finale twist
The three remaining couples compete for a cash prize in the final, which is £50,000 in the UK.
The brutal twist is that when the winning couple is faced with the money, the man and woman can choose to split the money or take it all for themselves.
Shockingly, if one person chooses to split, while the other chooses to take all the cash – they end up getting the money while their supposed other half leaves with nothing.
The X-rated rules
The Mirror reported that the contestants on the British version of Love Island have restrictions on their passionate liaisons.
This includes a ban on full nudity, a ‘no masturbation’ order, and strict rules prohibiting participants from engaging in sex with drunk co-stars.
Contestants can also seek advice from a counsellor after having sex.
In addition to these rules, participants are given a handbook on a wide range of topics, including sexual consent and protection.
Raunchy: Contestants are reportedly banned from masturbating and cannot be fully nude. There are also strict rules prohibiting participants from engaging in sex with drunk co-stars
The host
Bachelorette star Sophie Monk will front the sexy series, and has saucily promised it will be the raunchiest dating show yet.
She confirmed that the contestants’ steamy bedroom antics will not be censored, telling NW: ‘It’s Big Brother meets a lot of sex… I love watching the sex scenes!’
The blonde bombshell added: ‘Australia always tends to be safer, but not now – you can see everything.’
‘I love watching the sex scenes’: Bachelorette star Sophie Monk will front the sexy series, and has saucily promised it will be the raunchiest dating show yet
When it starts
The show will premiere on Sunday, May 27 at 8:30pm on 9Go! And 9Now.
The irresistible series will screen every night from Sunday to Thursday, giving viewers plenty to talk about.
Also, each episode will be filmed 24 hours before screening.
Not long to go! The show will premiere on Sunday, May 27 at 8:30pm on 9Go! And 9Now (pictured, 2016 contestant Zara Holland)