LOVE Island is getting ready to return with a brand new winter series and a brand new villa.
However, today it has been revealed that the new luxury South African compound is right next door to the jail where Nelson Mandela served time
Earlier this week, The Sun revealed how bosses have splurged £1.2million hiring the glam South African mansion, which will host singletons in the New Year’s winter edition.
But it has now been revealed that the new villa - which will be the Islanders home during their time on the show - overlooks a prison housing murderers and serial killers.
It's reported that contestants are likely be able to see the jail in the distance across scrubland.
Gemma Owen's mum makes cryptic 'fakery' dig after Love Island star's Luca split
Groot Drakenstein Prison, on the outskirts of Cape Town in South Africa, is famous for being where Mr Mandela spent the last part of his sentence for campaigning against apartheid.
It has also housed notorious murderers including triple axe-killer Henri van Breda, who was found guilty in May 2018 of killing his parents and older brother.
It comes after The Sun exclusively revealed how contestants are set to compete like gladiators to win the sportiest series yet — with their villa boasting running tracks and an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
They must be braced for combat in their quest for romance at the site, which is called Ludus Magnus after Rome’s ancient gladiator school.
It has football and rugby pitches, a 400m running track and zip lines, as well as mountain bike trails.
Ludus also boasts river rapids and two 50-metre swimming lanes in a vast lake — which are used for Olympic training.
The water also has its own “love island” in the middle, with a sandy beach surrounded by trees.
The estate sprawls over 25 acres in a wine valley near Cape Town.
The mansion has 17 bedrooms and a treehouse, as well as a T-shaped swimming pool.
Ludus’s owners took it over two years ago and revamped it.
Love Island's Luca Bish cosied up to stunning blonde at New Year's Eve party
The couple are both high-level triathletes and wanted it to reflect their sporting background.
A source said: “The challenges on Love Island always make for fun TV and this place is a producer’s dream.
“It’s absolutely stunning and has so much going on. It will set the standard for future series.
“There’s bound to be plenty of fun and games on the winter edition and Ludus Magnus provides the perfect opportunity for a huge range of activities for the contestants to get stuck into.”
For standard punters, staying in the mansion costs in excess of £430 a night.
But it is understood the owners are charging the show’s producers £8,000 a day to rent the whole estate.
Sources in South Africa claimed bosses of the hit ITV2 show hired the site for five months from November to prepare for the show, which is broadcast in January.
One insider said: “A team of gardeners have been brought in and there are carpenters and electricians building all sorts of new things for the show.
“And, of course, there will be cameras and microphones installed to capture everything.
“At the end, the whole villa will have to be put back to how it was.
“So it will have had a huge revamp and redecoration costs to add on top of the five months’ guaranteed rental.”
CASA AMOR RETURNS
Producers have also decided to spice things up by having the Casa Amor villa just feet away from the main house.
The summer series is filmed in Majorca, with five million viewers having tuned in to watch this year’s opening episode.
Davide Sanclimenti and Ekin-Su Cülcüloglu were crowned winners of the show’s eighth season.
Love Island will have a new host for the upcoming series, with Maya Jama replacing Laura Whitmore.
Love Island’s winter edition was launched in 2020 and was won by Paige Turley and Finn Tapp, who scooped the £50,000 prize.
