Entertainment TV Reality TV 'Love Island' Is Coming to America! CBS Secures Rights to U.S. Version of the U.K. Dating Show The U.K.'s season 4 finale was the most-watched program ever on ITV2 By Michele Corriston Michele Corriston Michele Corriston is the Director of Platforms Strategy of PEOPLE. She has worked at PEOPLE since 2014. People Editorial Guidelines Published on August 8, 2018 12:36PM EDT Photo: James Gourley/ITV/REX/Shutterstock Good news, Islanders! CBS has secured the rights to an American version of the top-rated British reality show Love Island, the network announced Wednesday. Hosted by Caroline Flack, Love Island drops sexy singles into a villa in Mallorca, monitoring their every move Big Brother-style. Contestants “couple up,” sharing a beds and hope to ignite a spark, but they can “pie off” their partners if they’re interested in someone new. People get dumped off the island, new contestants saunter in wearing skimpy bikinis, and in the end, the most popular couple wins $50,000. The series (itself a reboot of Celebrity Love Island from 2005-06) premiered in 2016 and airs six nights a week, so you’re following the action more or less live “‘Love Island’ has been a massive success overseas,” Sharon Vuong, Senior Vice President, Alternative Programming for the Network, said in a statement. “It’s currently seen, or about to premiere in several European countries as well as Australia, and we’re thrilled that ITV has partnered with us to bring their most successful show to American television. Having seen the reaction of audiences ‘across the pond’ and around the world to this most recent season, we expect American viewers will be captivated by this engaging format. Additionally, ‘Love Island’ is more than a pop sensation; this series has generated compelling ‘sociological think pieces’ in major publications here and abroad.” “As a format, ‘Love Island’ breaks the mold with high levels of viewer interactivity and participation that influence the content of the show in a way that’s extremely addictive,” added David George, CEO, ITV America. “It’s a cultural phenomenon that builds anticipation with every episode and creates appointment viewing – a pretty hard thing to do in today’s TV landscape. We’re ecstatic the show has found a home at CBS and look forward to working collaboratively to engage its millions of viewers.” Last week’s season 4 finale was the most-watched program ever on ITV2. Close