The latest batch of Love Islanders are set to be protected by armed guards, as the show’s bosses parry kidnap concerns in South Africa.
The singletons will live in a luxurious £5.3million villa in Cape Town, one of the world’s most dangerous cities, for six weeks from January 12.
As well as TV crews being given training on dealing with any potential security, breach guards will be on constant watch.
Precautions: The latest batch of Love Islanders are set to be protected by armed guards, as the show’s bosses parry kidnap concerns in South Africa
An insider told The Daily Star: ‘Producers aren’t taking any chances. It’s been arranged for armed guards to patrol the compound throughout the series.
‘If it’s known to everyone in the area that a big TV show is in town, then it will become a target.’
The exact location of the villa is a staunch secret to protect the staff and contestants in the city where the murder rate has risen by 30 per cent in six years.
Six week run: The singletons will live in a luxurious £5.3million villa in Cape Town, one of the world’s most dangerous cities, for six weeks from January 12. Laura Whitmore is set to host
Among the latest intake is Sophie Piper, the sister of television presenter Rochelle Humes.
A Love Island Spokeswoman told MailOnline: ‘The safety and security of our Islanders and crew are of the utmost importance.’
It comes after Caroline Flack was edited out of the latest Love Island trailer, two weeks after stepping down from the show following her assault charge.
The presenter, 40, has fled to LA after she was charged with assaulting her boyfriend Lewis Burton, 27 on December 12.
Luxurious: As well as TV crews being given training on dealing with any potential security breach, guards will be on constant watch
Looking for love: Among the latest intake is Sophie Piper (centre), the sister of television presenter Rochelle Humes (right)
The initial trailer for the show had featured Flack striding through a group of partying singles, and was filmed before the alleged assault.
Standing amidst the crowd, she announced: ‘Sorry Winter, you’re just not our type.’
However, ITV aired a near identical version of the trailer without Caroline in it during a commercial break for The Masked Singer on Saturday.
The new version appears to be exactly the same, only with the former presenter’s shots cut from it.
Cut: It comes after Caroline Flack was edited out of the latest Love Island trailer, two weeks after stepping down from the show following her assault charge
MailOnline has contacted an ITV spokesman for comment.
Ahead of her court hearing on the 23rd December, Caroline stepped down as the host of Love Island, with ITV announcing Laura Whitmore as her replacement.
Along with the recent re-cutting of the promo, on December 19, producers pulled the trailer featuring Caroline and replaced it with a shorter clip.
This featured an aeroplane’s flight reflected in a sexy singleton’s aviator shades – with the tagline ‘Do one winter.’
Caroline fled to LA after she was charged with assaulting Lewis who recently denied that pictures of blood, purporting to be his, strewn across what are allegedly Caroline’s bed sheets were published by The Sun.
Lewis has jumped to Caroline’s defence following the reports and claimed that it isn’t his blood covering the sheets and he wasn’t hit over the head by a lamp.
Alongside the photograph, he wrote: ‘B******t this isn’t my blood and I didn’t get hit over the head with a lamp. Can everyone stop now.’
Gone: The presenter, 40, has fled to LA after she was charged with assaulting her boyfriend Lewis Burton, 27 on December 12 – and has been removed from the latest trailer
The former tennis pro went on to profess his love for Caroline, who he is currently unable to see due to court restrictions ahead of her impending trial in March.
The former Strictly winner was accused of hitting Lewis over the head with a lamp while he slept as well as smashing a glass after looking at texts which made her think he was cheating.
She and her partner Lewis were both allegedly covered in blood when police arrived at their flat in Islington, North London, on December 12, with Lewis saying in a 999 call that she ‘tried to kill me, mate’, Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court heard.
Absent: The same promo has now been shown but without the former presenter, who has been replaced by Laura Whitmore
The court also heard that in a statement Burton denied being hit by a lamp and did not support the prosecution.
One officer allegedly described the chaotic scene as ‘like a horror movie’.
Lewis was said to have been ‘almost begging the operator to send help’ with his face ‘covered in blood’, while Caroline allegedly had two cuts to her wrist.
I’m here! The trailer had seen Caroline party up a storm with a whole host of new singletons
Erased: Along with the recent re-cutting of the promo, on December 19, producers pulled the trailer featuring Caroline and replaced it with a shorter clip
The court heard that after being taken into custody, former X Factor host Caroline – whom the court heard was ‘manipulative’ towards Lewis and accused him of ruining her life – allegedly flipped over a table and had to be restrained on the ground by police.
Her boyfriend was allegedly left with ‘significant head injuries’.
Caroline pleaded not guilty to common assault and the court heard she wanted to ‘spend time’ with him over the Christmas and New Year period.
She put her head in her hands when the judge refused an application to remove bail conditions preventing her from contacting Lewis directly or indirectly and from attending his address.
Caroline has been released on bail until her trial in March.
Under trial: Caroline pleaded not guilty to common assault and the court heard she wanted to ‘spend time’ with Lewis over Christmas and New Year (pictured at her court hearing)