Love Island has suffered a major blow as viewing figures show less than 2million tuned in to watch the brand new ITV2 series.

The hit dating show made its much-anticipated return to TV screens on Monday night (January 16) with Maya Jama making her on-screen debut as host – and to huge fanfare from those who tuned in.

In the first episode of the winter series, 10 new sexy singletons made their way into the luxury South Africa villa hoping to find love.

READ MORE: Love Island fans compare Olivia Hawkins to past islander as they spot outfit 'blunder'

This year's girls, who are on the hunt for romance, include: Tanya Manhenga, Lana Jenkins, Anna-May Robey, Tanyel Revan and Olivia Hawkins.

And as for the boys, Kai Fagan, Ron Hall, Will Young, Shaq Muhammad and Haris Namani have made their way into the villa.

But just 1.7m watched the latest batch of Islanders start to crack on in their luxury pad for the next two months.

This is a significant 800,000 down from 2022’s summer debut episode, where an average of 2.5m people tuned in at the time.

Similarly, the first winter series which aired in January 2020, had 2.5m fans watching at home.

As for the show’s most successful launch, that was series five with 3.3m viewers, with Amber Gill and Greg O'Shea eventually taking home the £50,000 prize.

It’s not all bad news though as, despite the lower figures, the show pulled in ITV2’s biggest audience since the Love Island reunion last year.

Last night’s premiere had a combined peak audience of 2.5m viewers.

Fans were treated to not only a brand new villa but also a brand new host – with Maya taking over from Laura Whitmore and fans were loving the energy she was bringing.

What’s more, five new glamorous couples were revealed in the villa.

Lana Jenkins, a 25-year-old makeup artist, partnered up with Ron Hall, a Financial Advisor from Essex and is the show's first partially-sighted contestant.

Biomedical science student Tanya Manhenga, partnered with Shaq Muhammad, an airport security officer from London.

While hairstylist Tanyel Revan, 26, is paired up with 24-year-old science and PE teacher Kai Fagan from Manchester.

Anna-May Robey is a payroll administrator from Swansea and coupled up with Haris, a TV salesman from Doncaster.

Olivia Hawkins, 27, a ring girl and actress, who's partnered with 23-year-old farmer Will Young from Buckinghamshire, is wrapping up the line-up.

READ MORE:

• Love Island's Maya Jama makes cryptic 'dig' at Stormzy as fans say he's 'gutted'
• Love Island contract exposes strict rules on behaviour banned from ITV2 villa
• Love Island's Tanyel Revan in pre-villa transformation as she lists cosmetic procedures

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