Love Island then and now: Comparing 2005 to 2018

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Love Island 2005 cast and Love Island 2018 castImage source, Shutterstock

Love Island fever is officially under way and every night millions of us have been tuning in for all the latest drama and gossip.

But did you know that the show actually started back in 2005?

Back in the early days of Love Island, the villa was on a Fijian island and "pied", "grafting" and "sticking it on (him or her)" weren't daily sayings.

Here's how Love Island 2005 compared to what the show is like in 2018.

The villa

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Back then, it was called Celebrity Love Island

Set on an island in Fiji, back in 2005, the villa was surrounded by an evergreen terrain and a line of palm trees.

It was a beach hut-style villa and was home to the contestants for five weeks.

Like the current show, the public could vote for who they wanted to leave the island.

But back then voting wasn't via a mobile phone app as it didn't exist.

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The 2018 villa is more modern and luxurious than all its predecessors.

Complete with a swimming pool, hot tub, gym, dressing room, a stylish bar and, of course, the secret hideaway - there's plenty of room for the islanders to get up to mischief.

Contestants this year will have to spend double the amount of time in the villa compared to the 2005 singletons - the 2018 series is set to run for 10 weeks.

The presenters

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The 2005 series had two presenters, comedian Patrick Kielty and model Kelly Brook.

Caroline Flack took charge as the only presenter when the series rebooted in 2015.

She also hosts Love Island: Aftersun - a weekly show bringing the latest gossip and most talked about antics from the villa.

The cast

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The format of the show has changed a lot since the series reboot and back in 2005, the contestants were all celebrities.

Some of the stars included TV personality Calum Best, Atomic Kitten's Liz McClarnon and former Hollyoaks actor Paul Danan.

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When Love Island returned in 2015, one of the notable differences was the contestants, which were ordinary people.

However, producers have had fun throwing the odd "celebrity" in over the years.

Who can forget Zara Holland aka Miss Great Britain and Marcel from Blazin' Squad?

This year, we've got an A&E doctor, a West End performer, a personal trainer and the daughter of Eastenders hardman Danny Dyer among the singletons.

The style

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While fashion has changed since 2005, you can see by Calum Best's vest and jeans combo that the style on the island was a bit more of a casual affair.

Wearing a bikini or swimming trunks 24/7 isn't in the 2018 terms and conditions, but it's become a staple part of the Love Island look.

The bedroom

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The format of all islanders sleeping in the same room has remained relatively unchanged.

However, in 2005 the beds had touching headboards and the room was much less colourful than the rebooted version.

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Famous for its saucy antics, the current Love Island bedroom is an explosion of tropical, blue, pink and white.

The beds are also arranged in a neat line with sayings such as "you OK, hun?" and "banter" to inspire the singletons.

The dates

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The original series of Love Island put a lot of emphasis on creative and activity-filled dates.

Some of the dates included surfing, kayaking, cooking classes and even mountain bike riding.

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The 2018 Love Island dates are notably more relaxed than the celebrity series and it's not uncommon to see the islanders having a date by the pool or even in front of the villa.

The show usually saves the more extravagant dates for when the series is coming to an end.

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Nowadays, instead of active dates they tend to focus more on active challenges.

Melon squashing anyone?

The winners

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TV presenter Jayne Middlemiss and former Westlife bodyguard Fran Crosgrave took the crown back in 2005.

This year's contestants are still battling it out for the glory of being named the winners and to bag a £50,000 prize.

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