Love Island applications fly as 13,000 horny singles vie to get out of lockdown

Applications for this summer's Love Island 2020 have soared to more than 13,000 as desperate sex-starved singletons look to life after lockdown.

ITV bosses have even had to bring in extra staff to wade through the thousands of applicants so they can make a shortlist of fit potentials - despite not knowing yet whether the show can even go ahead thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.

Love Island usually kicks off in June each year, but with still no sign of lockdown being lifted or fights to mainland Europe going ahead, this summer's show could look very different.

Unlike in previous years, villa hopefuls haven't been able to go to face-to-face auditions, so instead casting staff are interviewing them over video-conferencing web app Zoom.

This summer's Love Island could look very different from 2019's (ITV)

"Applications have gone through the roof since lockdown," a show source told the Sun.

“Never before have so many people applied in this six-week time span."

They went on: "Over 70 per cent of the applications have come from 18 to 28-year-olds, and the videos being sent in have been more creative than ever as people have more time on their hands."

Once producers have made a shortlist, the insider added, the plan is still for candidates to be interviewed face-to-face.

Potential candidates will audition over Zoom rather than the traditional face-to-face meetings (ITV)

With the annual production in Majorca, it seems unlikely Love Island filming will go ahead as normal at the start of summer.

Instead, there are contingency plans to postpone filming until August - or even host Love Island in the UK, although with the uncertainty of the British weather, bosses will be hoping they can still get out to the Spanish island.

Winter Love Island winner Paige Turley previously predicted a spike in applications for the summer series.

Winter Love Island winner Paige has urged people to try out for this summer's series (turley_paige/Instagram)

"There will be so many more applicants - and they should, they should 100 per cent apply," she pointed out.

"It's six weeks and you'll be in the sun, meeting all these hot boys and girls. They should apply."

This summer's series, whenever it takes place, is likely to be fronted again by Laura Whitmore, following the tragic suicide of previous host Caroline Flack in February.