Good Morning Britain host Ed Balls described Love Island as a ‘summer thing’ after the ITV2 reality show aired its second winter series finale on Monday evening.
Sanam Harrinanan and Kai Fagan were crowned winners of the winter Love Island 2023 on Monday night, beating original couple Ron Hall and Lana Jenkins to the £50k cash prize.
After eight weeks of South African villa gossip, Love Island viewers at home picked the social worker and PE teacher as their champions, making them the first Casa Amor couple to win.
Good Morning Britain’s entertainment reporter Richard Arnold gave ITV viewers a run-down of the finale, hosted by Maya Jama live in the Love Island villa.
He said: “Now it’s life on the outside after a wrapped series nine. Currently going on to series ten.”
Turning to self-proclaimed Love Island devotee Ed, he added: “We’ll get your peep-toe cork wedges and budgie smugglers out because it will be back in the summer and you and I will be covering it.”
Ed then said: “In the summer is when it should be really, you know what I mean? It’s a summer thing,” as Richard agreed, saying: “Yeah, absolutely.”
It comes after the Love Island winter series saw its viewing figures plummet to their lowest in years, with a plunge in people tuning in registered from the off.
The series opened to just 1.4 million viewers watching live, drastically falling behind the summer 2022 premiere, which secured 2.4 million viewers.
The viewership was again low for the beloved series staple Casa Amor, when figures showed the typically explosive Casa Amor re-coupling ceremony attracted 1.3 million, a far cry from the 3 million watching during last summer.
Winter Love Island winners Kai and Sanam, both 24, were speechless when host Maya announced the results during the live final in South Africa.
Before their win, Sanam accidentally revealed she is in love with Kai, while he told viewers to 'watch this space' about sealing the deal and making their relationship official once home.
Tom Clare, 23, and Samie Elishi, 22, placed third in the competition, while airport security officer Shaq Muhammad, 24, and Tanya Manhenga, 22 were in fourth.
Sanam said of their romance: “For me, it was always Kai, like I always said he was my number one. Obviously, he is a very attractive guy but I fell in love with everything.
“Everything about him, I just loved it. I really didn't think I was gonna be here. I'm going to cry.”
Kai noted his journey on the show had been a ‘rollercoaster’ but said he is looking forward to treating Sanam away from the villa.
He said: “She blew me away. I think it's the eyes. I always told her that it was the first conversation we had, she did the eyes. But she doesn't do it anymore! After that first one, we just got closer and closer.
“She doesn't leave my side and I absolutely love her. In here, it's amazing and you have so many people working around you, arranging the most amazing dates ever but I can't wait to be able to put my time and effort into her and show her how amazing she is.
“On the outside, she's going to be my girlfriend but I want that control. I'm gonna make it so special and I have told her so many times that she is gonna be my girlfriend on the outside. So keep a look out.”
