What time is Love Island on and what channel is it on?

The first episode of the new series will see five girls and five boys enter the villa and pair up for the first time since the winter series in 2020.

The summer series last year was cancelled because of the Covid pandemic.

Eleven islanders will enter the Mallorcan villa during the launch episode, including a semi-professional footballer, a lettings manager and the show’s first contestant with a physical disability.

The show airs on Monday on ITV2 at 9pm.

According to bookmakers Coral, footballer Toby Aromolaran and civil servant Sharon Gaffka are favourites to end up in the winning couple, both with odds of 3-1.

A late arrival will make waves in the Love Island villa in the first episode as the new batch of contestants couple up for the first time when the show returns tonight.

Host Laura Whitmore will oversee proceedings tonight as the girls line up alongside the pool to await the arrival of the boys, with waitress and marketing student Liberty Poole admitting: “I’m nervous but I’m excited to see what potential is coming through the doors.”

Fashion blogger Kaz Kamwi tells Whitmore: “I just like muscles and biceps, nice backs and nice bodies!” while lettings manager Faye Winter says: “We need the personality; if he’s not bringing the personality, I don’t want him!”

After the five boys make their arrivals and are paired up with the girls, Whitmore says: “Will you stay together? Or will your heads be turned?”

She adds: “Girls, just a little bit of advice from me, if you want to keep hold of your man you may have to graft a little bit harder, that’s all I’m saying.”

The group embark on a game of dares, however it is quickly interrupted when footballer Toby Aromolaran receives a voice note from new arrival Chloe Burrows in which she says: “Hey boys. How are you? Chloe here. I’ve just arrived and I’m outside the front of the villa.

“I’d like to take you all on a date but I’ll let you guys decide who wants to come and join me. Hopefully I’ll see you soon.”

Whitmore said she was most excited about the first day of filming.

“I meet all the islanders the way everyone else meets all the islanders,” she said.

“So when they come into the villa and they do the line-up, that’s the first time I’m meeting all of them as well.

“So I’m looking forward to that. It’s so funny because you change your opinion so much. You meet someone and you go, ‘Oh, they’re my favourite’.

“And then I’ll have a different favourite by the next week. The first day, that’s the big day.

“And I love trying to guess who I think they’ll choose. I never get it right.”

Former MTV presenter Whitmore presented the winter Love Island series from South Africa in January 2020 and is yet to host the programme from Mallorca, which the Government is adding to its quarantine-free travel list.

She said: “I am so excited to be back hosting. It’s been a year where I think we all need a bit more love and fun in our lives and I think everyone is ready for Love Island to be back – myself included.

“I’m really excited about seeing the villa. I’ve never seen the villa in Mallorca so I’ll probably be there a little bit fangirling at the villa. It’s almost like a person to me.

“So I need to remember that I’m there doing a job, not just a fangirl. I haven’t met any of the islanders yet but I’ve heard from the people behind the scenes that they are an incredible cast – it’s really exciting.”

ITV has published duty of care protocols which include an offer of “a minimum of eight therapy sessions” for contestants on their return home from appearing in the series.

They will also receive training on the impact of social media and “how to handle potential negativity”, as well as training on financial management.

When is Love Island on and how can I watch it?

Love Island returns from Monday, June 28 at 9pm on ITV2 - and will be available to watch on the ITV Hub.

Episodes will appear on Britbox the following morning.

New episodes will air every night at 9pm, except for Saturdays - when there will be a review show of unseen clips.