Looking to find your type on paper whilst the world is watching?
ITV has announced that Love Island is back for 2022 and the company is now looking to recruit a number of islanders looking to find love.
For the first time, the cult TV series will take applications from people that identify as non-binary, after only ever taking male and female applications in previous series.
There's a chance to find love, but failing that there's £50,000 up for grabs if you're part of the winning couple, and of course, the chance of becoming rich and famous in the process.
In order to qualify, participants must be over the age of 18, not employed by ITV, Motion or any other company owned by ITV and cannot be an immediate relative or partner of anyone that works for the show. Of course, it helps if you can come up with quotable phrases and are willing to do anything to win over the hearts of not just the other contestants, but the entire UK population too.
In addition to these requirements, you must be exclusively available to participate in the Programme for a minimum of ten consecutive weeks for production and hold (or be prepared to obtain) a passport which is less than ten years old to travel to the destination specified by ITV at the point of production.
If you want to put all your eggs in one basket and apply, make sure you're ready for the rigorous interview process and to be projected in front of millions of viewers for the foreseeable future- which does come with the potential of becoming a viral sensation or a meme respectively.
Recently, Winter Love Island runner up, Siânnise Fudge, spoke on an Instagram story, stating that she missed her pre-Love Island life, how the show had affected her mental health and how she wishes she hadn't participated at all.
"I was very content and happy in my life before 'Love Island' and I feel like mentally I’m not as happy. If I could turn back the clock I think I would have made a different decision. And I don’t mean to sound ungrateful.
"Mental health and happiness comes first for me always."
Now a social media influencer, Siânnise is one of many contestants that has found the journey to fame rocky, but for others, they have used the show to carve a career that leaves them with no regrets about the show.
Amber Davies, who participated in the show in 2017 and won with former islander Kem Cetinay told The Mirror that "some of the life experiences I’ve had from Love Island, I’ll be forever grateful for,” after the show landed her a spot on the West End version of 9 To 5 in 2019, on CBBC's Almost Never and in March the ex-islander will be hosting Proud Cabaret in London.
If you think that appearing on Love Island 2022 in their eight season is the way you want to spend your summer, more information is available on the ITV website.
In gutting news for the Owls, the already struggling Sheffield Wednesday FC have been informed that they could very well be starting next season with an immediate points deduction.
From bad to worse, it seems, at the moment.
Wednesdayites have been through it all over the past few years, with unpaid debts and salaries resulting in administration, sparking protests; now relegation to the third tier and the threat of complete collapse.
And as if things weren't hard enough already, Sheffield Wednesday have now been told that they will automatically be deducted 15 points from the beginning of the 2026/67 League One campaign if creditors aren't paid in full - starting with outgoing and controversial owner, Dejphon Chansiri...
BREAKING: Sheffield Wednesday look set to start life in League One next season with a 15-point deduction, because none of the bidders currently trying to buy the club is prepared to pay £15m to the outgoing owner, Dejphon Chansiri. pic.twitter.com/UoAgIMsB4p
Chansiri has loaned over £60 million to the organisation during more than 11 years in charge, but because this money was never converted into share capital, he is the entity that the club owes the biggest amount to.
Addressing supporters in a statement back in September 2023, the 57-year-old member of the millionaire family that controls the Thai Union Group, wrote: "I will not inject any more money into the club if I am being treated unfairly.
"Those fans who create trouble [for] the club and me, and believe that they are the real owner of the club, need to be responsible for the financial matters of the club from now on."
It's fair to say that relations with the fans have far from improved since then, and they've been left even more furious following this most recent development.
At present, Chansiri must be paid at least £15m (effectively almost half of the entire organisation's total purchase price at current valuation), but none of the interested bidders has ultimately been willing to do so thus far.
However, the Arise Capital Partners LLC consortium - led by David Storch and son Michael, as well as Tom Costin - has been identified as the 'preferred' party to complete a buyout.
Newcastle United Mike Ashley was also said to be in the running to take over the club, but ultimately was unprepared to settle this fee with Chansiri, and there remain doubts over whether or not Storch is willing to either.
As for the loyal Hillsborough matchgoers, they have accused the EFL of punishing them and the club rather than the ownership and wider executive board, who have overseen this turbulent period for the historic local institution.
One person wrote underneath the post in social media: "So a club gets penalised because their owner is a piece of shit, but Man City and others just get away with it, makes sense"; many others have simply added that the pending treatment is "unfair" and targets the wrong people. What do you make of it all?
Elsewhere in the Steel City, fresh hope and a new chapter are coming to the world's oldest football club as native musician Jon McClure has been confirmed as the new chairman. Find out more down below.
Featured Images — Kenneth Yarham (via Geograph)/Kivo (via Wikimedia Commons)
Trending
People from Yorkshire wanted to take part in next series of BBC’s popular Gladiators reboot
Emily Sergeant
The BBC is back casting for the next series of Gladiators, and producers are looking for people from Yorkshire to take part.
The gladiators are ready for a new series… but are the contenders?
That’s right – arguably the most exciting and energetic sports entertainment game show of all time is coming back for another series following its long-awaited reboot back in 2025, and that means that the BBC is looking for some brave new contestants to take part.
Yorkshire residents are among those producers are calling on to consider sticking an application in.
Unfamiliar with the premise of Gladiators? The massively-popular series – which is based on an American show of the same name – sees four contestants compete in a number of physical challenges against the ‘Gladiators’, all with the aim of securing as many points as possible for the final event, which is known as ‘The Eliminator’.
Image: BBC
Contestants battle against each other to win a place in the grand final, and ultimately be crowned the champion for the series.
Putting out a UK-wide casting call on the BBC website this week, producers Hungry Bear Media wrote: “Gladiators, one of the most exciting and energetic sports entertainment game shows ever is back for a fourth series.
“We are on the look out for the bravest members of the British public who have the speed and skill to take on our superhuman Gladiators.”
Reckon that’s you then?
With filming set to start soon, applications are now open for the new series of Gladiators, and all you need to do to be in with a chance of being selected as a contestant is being over 18 years old, and fill out an application form.
You can apply on the BBC website here, before applications close on 31 May 2026.
Sophie Smith -
11th January 2022 
