Sophie Monk to host Love Island in Port Douglas

Season 3 of Love Island Australia will film in Port Douglas later this year, with Sophie Monk back as host.

New singles will couple up at the Love Island villa against a backdrop of the Great Barrier Reef, the luscious Daintree rainforest, and pristine golden beaches.

Sophie Monk said: “Love Island is such a fun and irresistible show and you can’t help but get wrapped up in all the flirting, dating and dramas.

“I can’t wait to join a whole new group of girls and guys looking for love, and filming in my hometown of Queensland is an added bonus for me as well, as Port Douglas is one of my favourite places to visit.”

Produced by ITV Studios Australia,  and supported by Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy. the reality TV format will return an estimated $8.6 million to Queensland’s economy and create more than 100 jobs for local crew.

Screen Queensland CEO Kylie Munnich said, “The economic boost to regional centres due to these large-scale reality formats coming to town is significant; this is another fantastic result for Queensland.

“First, we had Australian Survivor, filming out of Cloncurry, now we have Love Island for Port Douglas – and what better place on earth to find love than the idyllic tropical north.

“This announcement further confirms the growth of Far North Queensland as a significant film and TV hub for the state, growth to be aided by the construction of a studio facility in Cairns, to be operational by early 2022.”

Adrian Swift, 9Network’s Head of Content Production & Development said, “What better place to spark romance and set hearts racing than in the tropical paradise of Port Douglas. Queensland has hosted some of the nation’s biggest productions in recent times and who doesn’t want to watch our hottest cast of islanders yet in a brand new villa, set in luscious rainforest, right on the reef.”

ITV Studios Australia’s Head of Content, Beth Hart, said “What better location, than Port Douglas, for one of the sexiest shows on Australian TV screens. Showcasing the incredible surroundings that are second-to-none, we will be bringing to viewers, not only the hottest Australians, but the hottest scenery in the world. We couldn’t be more excited to shoot this season in picture-perfect Far North Queensland. We are thrilled to be working with Screen Queensland and to have the opportunity to produce shows on Australian shores for Channel 9.”

Speaker of the Queensland Parliament, Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt added, “Love Island enjoys a huge national and international following with the reality juggernaut broadcast in over 20 countries around the world, so this is great news for the region whose lush rainforests and pristine beaches will be showcased globally.

“The local FNQ community and its businesses will also benefit in a myriad of ways from the production spend on catering, transport, construction, accommodation, technology and much more.

“We are thrilled that postcard Port Douglas will star in Season 3 and proud of the opportunities, for crew and the wider FNQ community, the production will deliver to the region,” Mr Pitt said.

Other productions choosing the Far North this past year include 10 / Netflix teen series, Dive Club, feature film This Little Love of Mine, and Matchbox Pictures’ Irreverent, to start production next month.

Love Island is owned by ITV Studios and Motion Content Group and is distributed internationally by ITV Studios. The hit show has also been commissioned in over 20 territories from the UK and the US to Spain, the Netherlands and many more.