Overview
- ITV confirmed cast and crew were evacuated and rehoused in hotels, with health and safety cited as the reason for delaying transmission to a date still to be confirmed.
- The UK launch planned for January 12 and the U.S. release on Peacock set for January 14 have been pulled after the first-episode shoot was canceled when a road to the villa was closed.
- Local authorities continue to battle multiple fires in the Western and Eastern Cape, with helicopters waterbombing hotspots and strong winds complicating operations near Franschhoek and Wemmershoek.
- Production remains paused as site assessments continue, compressing edit timelines and prompting logistical challenges, with some outlets reporting significant hourly costs to the broadcaster.
- Host Maya Jama is in South Africa awaiting the all‑clear, and the 12‑person All Stars lineup of returning Islanders has been announced but will not enter the villa until filming can safely resume.