Love Island bosses announce a spin-off dating show for middle-aged single parents

ITV earlier expressed interest in launching a Love Island series for middle-aged single parents who are still willing to find love. The spin-off show was rumoured to have people with normal bodies and after months of wait, the network has officially announced ‘The Romance Retreat.’

What is The Romance Retreat?

ITV has issued a call-out on their website for ageing parents to apply for the Love Island spin-off. The spin-off will be called ‘The Romance Retreat’ and will be a Love Island-style series but for single parents who would be nominated by their ‘grown-up children.’

According to The Sun, the series will air on the main channel instead of the younger-skewing sister network. The show blurb reads:

ITV1 are looking for vibrant single parents from across the UK who are in search of love, for a brand-new dating show!

Giving a look into the ‘potential villa’ for The Romance Retreat, the ad shows a stunning modern pad with a glass balcony. The blurb added:

This is the ONLY dating show where single parents can search for love, by spending time in a luxury retreat, where all the parents have been nominated by their grown-up children.

The potential host

While there hasn’t been an official announcement about the identity of the host, Davina McCall may be the one hosting the Love Island spin-off. The star who rose to fame in 1998 as the presenter of Channel 4's dating show Streetmate has openly accepted that she has ‘begged’ ITV to make her the host.

Davina said:

I've got no embarrassment or shame in emailing a TV company and going 'have you thought about this? What about this? Can I do this?'

I'm literally begging ITV to let me present mid-life Love Island.

The 55-year-old added:

I could fill a villa in Love Island with middle-aged people with the best backstories you have ever heard in your life.

They've lived a life, they're widows, they're people who have been through horrific divorces.

Source Used

The Sun: ITV officially announce middle-aged Love Island spin off for ‘single parents’ and reveal first look at ‘villa’