So, you’re ready to see a bunch of chaotic exes and fan favorites try to find love again in a South African villa, but the schedule has been a bit of a nightmare lately. It’s okay. Honestly, everyone was confused when the original launch date just… disappeared. If you've been refreshing your TV guide and seeing nothing but static, you aren't alone.
Basically, the start of the 2026 season hit a massive snag. Wildfires near Cape Town forced the production team to evacuate the villa right as the Islanders were supposed to move in. Safety first, obviously, but it definitely threw a wrench in our January plans.
The good news? The fire is out, the villa is safe, and the show is officially back on track.
What time does Love Island All Stars start tonight?
If you are in the UK, Love Island All Stars starts at 9:00 p.m. GMT. You can catch it on ITV2, or if you’ve moved past the world of traditional cables, it’s streaming live and on-demand on ITVX. Most episodes are scheduled to run for about an hour, but the big launch episodes and the Sunday night "after-show" vibes often push closer to 10:00 p.m. or 10:30 p.m.
For those of us watching from the United States, things work a little differently. Peacock is the exclusive home for the 2026 All Stars run. Because of the production delay, the US premiere didn't happen until Saturday, January 17.
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New episodes now drop daily on Peacock at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.
Keep in mind that Peacock typically operates on a two-day delay from the UK broadcast. If you are active on Twitter or TikTok, you’re basically playing a dangerous game of "dodge the spoiler" for 48 hours.
The weird 2026 schedule shake-up
Usually, the show follows a very strict "nightly at nine" rhythm, but because of those South African wildfires, ITV had to play Tetris with the first week’s schedule.
Initially, we were supposed to start on Monday, January 12. That didn't happen. Instead, the season officially kicked off on Thursday, January 15. Because they lost those few days of filming, the producers did something they’ve literally never done before: they added an extra full episode on Saturday.
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Normally, Saturday is reserved for "Unseen Bits" (which, let’s be real, most people skip unless they’re truly obsessed). But on January 17, we got a proper, drama-filled episode instead.
Here is how the current weekly rhythm looks for the rest of the 2026 season:
- Sunday through Friday: New episodes at 9:00 p.m. (ITV2/ITVX).
- Saturday: Usually "Unseen Bits" at 9:00 p.m., though they might keep the "Full Episode" surprises coming if they need to catch up on the timeline.
- The US Schedule: Daily at 9:00 p.m. ET on Peacock, trailing two days behind the Brits.
Who is actually in the villa this time?
The 2026 cast is a wild mix of people who were in the villa six months ago and people who haven't seen a slow-motion walk-in since 2018. Maya Jama is back as the host, which is a relief because her outfits are essentially half the reason people tune in.
We’ve got winners like Millie Court (Season 7) and Jess Harding (Season 10) returning to see if lightning strikes twice. Then you have the absolute legends like Whitney Adebayo, whose breakup with Lochan was basically the talk of the town until she signed back up for this.
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It’s also weirdly heavy on the "new" old people. Tommy Bradley and Helena Ford are back after only being out of the villa for a few months since the Summer 2025 series ended. It sort of feels like they never left.
How to watch if you aren't in the UK or US
If you’re in Australia, 9Now is your best bet, but expect a delay similar to the US. In Canada, CTV picks up the slack.
A lot of fans have started using VPNs like NordVPN or ExpressVPN to just skip the wait and watch directly on ITVX. It’s technically "free," but you do need to tell the website you’re in the UK and have a valid TV licence. It’s a bit of a loophole that most die-hard fans use to avoid getting the "Who Coupled Up?" notification on their phone before they've even seen the episode.
The 2026 series is confirmed to run for six weeks, making it the longest All Stars series yet. That’s a lot of coffee chats and "can I pull you for a chat?" moments to get through.
To make sure you don't miss anything, set a recurring alarm for 9:00 p.m. GMT if you're streaming live, or check your Peacock app every evening at 6:00 p.m. PT. If you're trying to stay spoiler-free in the US, your best bet is to mute the words "Love Island," "Maya Jama," and the names of the current cast members on all your social media apps.
Make sure your ITVX or Peacock app is updated to the latest version before the 9:00 p.m. drop. These apps are notorious for crashing during high-traffic premieres, and there’s nothing worse than the stream freezing right as a bombshell walks through the door. If you are watching on Peacock, double-check that you have a Premium or Premium Plus subscription, as the All Stars content isn't available on the free tier this year.