'Love Island' Season 2 Premiere Date Announced
by Libby BirkLove Island USA is coming back! CBS made an aptly timed announcement on Valentine's Day to announce that Season 2 of Love Island will premiere Thursday, May 21, setting up a summer full of wild twists, turns and — of course — romance. The network announced that host Arielle Vandenberg and narrator Matthew Hoffman will return along with an all-new cast of love seekers for the two-hour premiere.
Additionally, Season 2 will see a format change with six episodes of Love Island per week — five original episodes on weeknights and then a new weekly recap show on Saturdays.
As far as who those lucky contestants will be, CBS announced that "casting is now open for singles across America looking to make their romantic dreams come true." Click here to learn more about casting.
Season 2 was previously announced back in August, about a week before the Season 1 finale. The series made its way to the U.S. after becoming a smash hit across the pond in the U.K.
Love Island follows a group of singles in search of a $100,000 grand prize, forcing them to be part of a couple or lose their chance at the grand prize. Through physical challenges and arrival of new singles looking to shake things up, the drama is shaped by fans, who have the chance to weigh in on what goes on island-side from home. In the end, the winning couple must test their trust to see if they'll split the prize money or betray one another for the full prize.
"The passion of Love Island's audience is incredible," said CBS president Kelly Kahl in a statement announcing the new season. "The intensity of their social media engagement has created tremendous enthusiasm for the series here at the Network. We love the show's creative execution and can't wait for next season."
Added Thom Sherman, Senior Executive Vice President of Programming at CBS Entertainment, "After its first season, the U.K. version exploded via word of mouth and social media to become a huge hit, and its viewership has grown every year. We believe first season U.S. fans are just as passionate and engaged and we look forward to building on that foundation with another fun season next summer."
Season 2 of Love Island USA premieres Thursday, May 21 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and CBS All Access. Season 1 is currently available to stream on CBS.com, the CBS mobile app and CBS All Access.