Overview
- ITV confirmed the production site was evacuated and filming postponed due to ongoing wildfires near the villa, delaying transmission until further notice.
- Launch filming planned for Saturday was called off after a wildfire caused road closures to the Franschhoek location, pausing cast arrivals.
- The delay pushes back the UK premiere originally set for Monday, January 12, and also impacts Peacock’s planned U.S. debut on Wednesday, January 14.
- Regional fire services reported active blazes in Langrug and Franschhoek still out of control and arranged an aerial assessment to direct operations.
- Production sources described teams scrambling with reduced edit time and welfare support for crew, while ITV prepares to announce a new schedule when conditions improve.