ITV boss Kevin Lygo insists Love Island has “many more years” despite a ratings fall and confirmed I’m A Celebrity will return to Australia next year.
Although 2.8 million people tuned in to watch Liam Reardon and Millie Court be crowned winners this week, that was down 22% on the last summer series, in 2019.
Asked if the best days of the show were behind it, ITV director of television Lygo said: “I think this is a pattern that you see when new programmes come along and they are huge phenomenons. On catch-up it’s... the best performing series ever.”
Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, Lygo said I’m A Celeb would be back in Oz for 2022 “if everything allows it”.
He added that Good Morning Britain had not yet replaced Piers Morgan as he was a “very difficult act to follow”.
It comes after the show was hit with 2,022 Ofcom complaints following its explosive compatibility fallout.
After the episode in which all of the couples ranked each other in terms of compatibility, resulting in Faye Winter lashing out, 1,611 viewers complained to Ofcom.
Faye had criticised Liberty and Kaz for voting her and Teddy in the bottom over the new Islanders, suggesting that they weren't proper friends.
A further 114 complaints were filed to the regulator the day after on August 18.
After the final, which saw Millie and Liam crowned this year's champions, a total of 297 viewers complained to Ofcom.
Kaz and Tyler came last out of the final four couples on Monday, prompting furious viewers to threaten that they would complain to Ofcom over the unfair result.
The 2021 series has been full of soaring highs and sinking lows, which has seen it hit with the most Ofcom complaints ever during its six-year run.
Most of the outrage stemmed from the misleading photo on a postcard delivered to the girls during the ever-controversial Casa Amor period.
On the postcard, faithful Teddy had been depicted as a villain as he was seen snogging one of the bombshells - which led Faye to believe he had cheated on her, not realising it was a game.
As a result, the pair broke up, but later got back together after their issues were resolved.
That wasn't the end of the drama, however, as the Islanders sat down for 'Movie Night', which saw the star's scandalous actions exposed on screen - and resulted in former hero Jake's downfall from grace.
In the footage, Jake was seen suggesting to the boys to crack on with other girls and even making an admission about girlfriend Liberty, who he said he didn't want to "rip her clothes off".
But it was Teddy who caught the brunt of Faye's anger as she lashed out at him, again resulting in further complaints.
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