Love Island Australia is back and this season is already shaping up to be one of the best. With great cast mates, hot chemistry and a lot of drama, the reality TV show is full of twists and turns.
Yet, the show is different to previous years, with the entire season already recorded.
When news broke that the show was pre-filmed and they had already wrapped filming before it even premiered, fans were rightfully worried. Fans’ live-voting was an integral part of Love Island, having the power to vote people off and change the whole dynamic of the show.
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Fans were even more confused when this year’s show started airing, and despite earlier news of the show being pre-recorded, Love Island Australia quickly introduced the power of ‘superfans’ who were used in a challenge.
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Love Island voting system and who the superfans really are!
Love Island contestants and viewers were introduced to the Love Island superfans during the second week.
Who are the Love Island Australia superfans?
Love Island contestants and viewers were introduced to the Love Island superfans during the second week when they were included in the Poles Apart challenge.
“A select group of the Australian public known as the Love Island Superfans have already been watching you,” Maddy Gillbanks told her cast.
“In today’s challenge, Poles Apart, you will receive your first taste of what your Superfans think of you.”
Although we don’t know exactly who these superfans are or how many there are, we do have a few hints. A few months ago, ITV put out a social post asking for “Love Island tragics” and “die-hard fans who know everything about the show”, to come forward.
Four months ago Channel Nine put out a similar message, calling all superfans for the chance to “take control of the villa.”
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How do you become a Love Island Australia superfan?
It is actually a pretty straightforward process, with the Channel Nine website including a link to a form to fill out.
The questions are quite simple, asking what you love about Love Island, your favourite Australian and International Love Islanders, and what moments you have enjoyed from past seasons.
Once you are chosen as a superfan, you are given access to a feed in the villa which allows them to participate in audience voting.
Although it’s too late to become a Love Island superfan this season, keep an eye out for next year!
Why did they pre-record Love Island Australia?
During an interview with Ben Norris for the TV Reload podcast, ITV Studio’s executive producer Alex Mavroidakis revealed why Love Island Australia was changing up its usual format and moving towards a pre-recorded season.
“[There’s] so much drama, so much funny and of course, it’s all different; it’s pre-recorded,” Alex told Ben.
“Which obviously it had to be because Nine wanted it on at this time of the year. If we filmed in Spain [now], we’d be wearing snow jackets instead of bikinis, so we had to pre-record it.”
“It feels the same; it looks the same. We still shoot an episode a day, and we’ve still edited an episode a day. It’s basically exactly the same. The only thing we had to do was the audience voting.”
Alex also revealed that the switch-up actually doesn’t make that much of a difference since most people watched previous seasons on catch-up instead of on live TV.
“99 per cent of people watch the show on catch-up”, he explained when revealing why the show was also moved to the streaming platform 9now.
“Really, hardly anyone voted; let’s be honest about it,” he said.
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How will the Love Island Australia winner be decided?
Usually, the show is filmed, edited and aired within 24 hours, followed by a live finale.
Unlike previous seasons, this year, Love Island Australia has already filmed three alternative finale episodes with different winners.
This means finalists and audiences will find out who has won at the same time!
Love Island Australia airs 6pm Monday – Thursday on 9Now.
This article first appeared on our sister site, WHO.
