[imagesource: Backgrid]

In case you didn’t know, Love Island is coming to South Africa.

No judgement if that news caught you off guard – wear it like a badge of honour.

The show that brought us highbrow moments like the most cringeworthy discussion of Brexit ever, and a trainwreck chat about Europe’s capital cities, is set to be filmed in Upper Constantia’s The Midden Cottage, located on Belair Drive.

For the basics, let’s start with this TimesLIVE article from December:

The Midden Cottage, designed by Cape Town architect Jon Jacobson,  is an ultra-luxury lodge on an estate that hosted   Miley Cyrus in an episode of Black Mirror;

The house has a 1,600m² footprint with four bedrooms and five bathrooms, but has been extensively renovated to accommodate the Love Island contestants; and…

The house, which was on the market for R103 million in mid-December, is owned by 50-year-old Italian tycoon Luca Bechis. You can read more about the property itself here, but let’s get to the bit about the kidnapping worries.

Naturally, this comes at you via the Daily Mail:

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.

Image: Backgrid

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.’

Um, sorry to break it to you, unnamed inside, but all of that information has already been public knowledge for close to a month.

I wonder if the armed guards will escort contestants to Constantia Village, or a tour of the new Checkers?

The blokes on the show will definitely need protection from the cougars prowling the La Parada on Constantia Nek on a Sunday – that place is a feeding frenzy.

Here’s hoping the contestants stay safe out there, and this is the final season of Love Island.

[sources:timeslive&dailymail]