Love Island returned with a healthy dose of drama, as the new couples were told a pair of newcomers were about to shake up their budding romances.
The winter series of the ITV2 show started on Sunday, with presenter Laura Whitmore taking over from Caroline Flack, who stepped down following an assault charge.
She's nailed that slow-mo strut already 😍 @thewhitmore #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/rxnamGCfEP
— Love Island (@LoveIsland) January 12, 2020
The episode saw the 10 contestants pairing up for the first time and spending the day getting to know their new “partners”.
However, in the evening, identical twins Eve and Jess Gale turned up at the villa.
Identical twins in the villa = so much opportunity for drama 😝
Bring it on. #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/5pXmhYLirL
— Love Island (@LoveIsland) January 12, 2020
As they walked in, the contestants’ jaws dropped.
“Twice is definitely nice, you know what I mean?” said police officer Mike Boateng, while scaffolder Callum Jones declared the newcomers to be “double trouble”.
The girls were shaken by the surprise, and Shaughna Phillips admitted she had had to work hard not to look “bothered” by the newcomers, who the girls agreed looked like “Playboy models”.
And the tension flared further when they were told that Eve and Jess have 24 hours to pick any of the boys to couple up with – which will leave two girls single and vulnerable to being dumped.
Earlier, the boys had their pick of the girls in the first coupling.
By the end, Ollie Williams was paired with Paige Turley, Boateng was with Leanne Amaning and Connor Durman was with Sophie Piper, the younger sister of TV star Rochelle Humes.
Nas Majeed and Siannise Fudge were together and Phillips and Jones were also in a couple.
Winner winner, stunning villa #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/9gxG6vGkTz
— Love Island (@LoveIsland) January 12, 2020
However, not everyone was thrilled with their pairing, with Siannise admitting she had not felt a spark with Nas.
“I don’t fancy him,” she told the girls.
“I’m just not feeling it,” she added.
The new series of the ITV2 dating show is being held in Cape Town, South Africa, and will see the winning couple in with a chance of pocketing £50,000.
Before it got under way on Sunday, Flack sent Whitmore a good luck message.
“Massive good luck to Laura, Iain (Stirling) and the team for tonight’s launch show…” she wrote on Instagram. “The first one always the best one.”
Flack stepped down from the show following an assault charge last year.
She is alleged to have hit boyfriend Lewis Burton over the head with a lamp, causing a head injury.
After entering a not guilty plea to the assault charge at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court, she was released on bail with conditions that stop her having any contact with Burton ahead of a trial on March 4.
Love Island continues on ITV2.