Love Island has been a staple of the nation's summer months for over a decade, producing countless iconic moments, relationships and even babies!

Despite its successful main series, a winter spin-off, an All Stars show and even a spin-off focused on the challenges, there has been one specific format fans have asked for over the years – an LGBTQ+ version.

Back in 2021, the question of including gay contestants was put to commissioner Amanda Stavri, who told Radio Times that it presented "a logistical difficulty".

"In terms of gay Islanders, I think the main challenge is regarding the format of Love Island. There's a sort of logistical difficulty, because although Islanders don't have to be 100 per cent straight, the format must sort of give [the] Islanders an equal choice when coupling up," Stavri explained.

Since 2021, the BBC launched I Kissed a Boy, the UK's first-ever gay dating show and was followed up by I Kissed a Girl. Both series were unfortunately cancelled due to "funding challenges".

As for whether there could be potential for Love Island to expand its offering with an LGBTQ+ show, Lifted Entertainment's CEO Richard Cowles told : "It is something we have discussed over the years. We already have Love Island and Love Island All Stars across the year, so quite a full quota of Love Island, but never say never in the future."

Love Island concluded its 13th season earlier this summer, with Julia Majchrzak and Lorenzo Alessi winning the series and there's plenty more Islander shenanigans on the way with All Stars returning next year.

"It's coming back early next year," Cowles said. "What's lovely is you kind of get a slightly accelerated series with All Stars, so you know the characters. There's a sort of Love Island dating ecosystem that seems to exist outside the series. So what's fantastic is you sort of go, 'Oh, so when did they date that person, and when did they date that person?'

"And it's such a digital show as well, and there's so much conversation around each season, so you've the season that airs and all the digital content that we do at that point. But then you've also got the conversation just keeps going about all of that cast of characters, and everyone kind of knows who's dated who. I mean, I can't keep up, but it's incredible."

He continued: "So when they come back into that, people can come in with a knowledge of it. The summer is fantastic because you get this slow build-up of learning who these characters are. But the All Stars version is who the characters are, and you're just continuing a story that you already enjoy."

Past seasons of Love Island are available to watch on ITVX.

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