Love Island in huge shake up as first boys and girls couples are revealed

LOVE Island has ditched a public vote that gave fans the power to chose the first couples last year.

Viewers were last year given the chance to play Cupid and pick the first couples.

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As the series returned new host Maya Jama revealed the girls would pick their villa partners after the boys had stepped format in a major format change.

And the change left viewers divided.

Taking to Twitter, one viewer said: “Not me thinking they were going to let us vote”

Another typed: “IM SO HAPPY THEY BINNED LAST YRS VOTE TO MAKE A COUPLE IDEA”

But a third moaned: “I thought we were gona stop letting the guys chose and get the public to vote which couples should be together. I refuse to watch men reject women.”

The brand new series kicked off tonight with the first five men arriving.

Shaq Muhammad, a 24-year-old airport security officer and 21-year-old TV salesman Haris Namani, from Doncaster, were up first.

They were followed by 23-year-old farmer and TikTok star Will Young, 25-year-old financial adviser from Essex Ron Hall and finally Kai Fagan, a 24-year-old science and PE teacher from Manchester.

The five women made their entrance into the villa, with 22-year-old biomedical science student Tanya Manhenga leading the pack.

Tanya was followed by Anna-May Robey, a 20-year-old payroll administrator from Swansea, Lana Jenkins, a 25-year-old make-up artist from Luton, and Olivia Hawkins, a 27-year-old actress from Brighton.

The female line-up was completed by 26-year-old hair-stylist Tanyel Revan from London.

The new series is the show’s first winter series since before the coronavirus pandemic.

Maya Jama has taken over as the new host of the ITV2 dating show after Laura Whitmore announced she was stepping down in August.

New additions also include Made In Chelsea star Sam Thompson and Indiyah Polack, who was a finalist on the show last year, who are joining as regular panellists on Love Island’s Aftersun programme.