Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Spring Summer 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    • Digital Issues
    • Women Who Win
    1. Culture
    2. TV and Film

    This series of Love Island has already broken television ratings records

    It only just started!

    Megan C. Hills's avatar
    By Megan C. Hills
    Published 6 June 2018 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    love island ratings
    (Image credit: ITV)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    It only just started!

    You knew Love Island was going to be massive this year, but we never expected it to smash television records. And we're only a couple of episodes in.

    Although Dr. Alex may not have gotten the smooch he wanted last night and might be the first departure, ITV2 has revealed that the reality show has gotten a lot of love this season. The pilot episode which launched on Monday evening blew through television records for the channel, securing the most watched slot on telly that evening with 2.9 million viewers - peaking at a whopping 3.4 million.

    love island ratings

    ITV
    (Image credit: ITV)

    It's a big step up and more than double last year's cycle, as the first episode drew a respectable 1.3 million eyeballs when it first launched. In fact, the first episode of Love Island 2018 even beat the ratings for the finale last year which came in at 2.6 million.

    As for who's watching? Well, it's no surprise that over half of the people watching were aged 16-34 years old. In fact, nearly half of all people watching telly that night tuned in for Love Island which is pretty massive.

    You may like
    • Analog Times - Wine and cards game night on luxurious burgundy fabric - TVS The Gambling Industry's Newest Bet? Women
    • Football and Domestic Abuse: Women’s Aid: “He’s Coming Home” After England's World Cup Defeat, I Couldn't Stop Thinking About This Domestic Abuse Statistic
    • UK heatwave I'm a Climate Communicator: Britain's Heatwaves Feel Like Summer—But They're a Sign of Something Much Bigger

    love island ratings

    (Image credit: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

    How does these ratings compare to previous seasons though? Well, the first episode of series 2 only had 825 thousand viewers while series 1 came in at a much lower 597 thousand. Love it or hate it, the Love Island series is definitely a television beast to be reckoned with - if that BAFTA they won last year didn't tell you that already.

    The third episode of Love Island will be shown on ITV2 at 9pm tonight.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    Megan C. Hills
    Megan C. Hills
    Social Links Navigation

    Megan is a freelance journalist who covers entertainment and all things lifestyle, with a particular passion for fashion, beauty, travel and Keanu Reeves stories. She has previously worked on staff for titles including Marie Claire UK, CNN Style and The Evening Standard and has written for titles such as Bustle UK, Wallpaper*, Forbes and Hong Kong Tatler. She splits her time between London and her hometown Hong Kong, where she currently lives with the love of her life - an elderly dog named Poppy - and her husband. 

    Read more
    Analog Times - Wine and cards game night on luxurious burgundy fabric - TVS
    Money and Work The Gambling Industry's Newest Bet? Women
    Football and Domestic Abuse: Women’s Aid: “He’s Coming Home”
    Life After England's World Cup Defeat, I Couldn't Stop Thinking About This Domestic Abuse Statistic
     
     
    UK heatwave
    Sustainability I'm a Climate Communicator: Britain's Heatwaves Feel Like Summer—But They're a Sign of Something Much Bigger
    A montage of photos from the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit
    Health and Fitness How the British Grand Prix Has Become the UK’s Most Glamorous Sporting Weekend
     
     
    Latest in TV and Film
    We Finally Know What To Expect From Leighton Meester’s Character in Nobody Wants This
    TV and Film One Surprising A-Lister Is Joining the Nobody Wants This Season Three Cast
    Lily Collins in Emily in Paris
    TV and Film Emily in Paris Fans Have Been Mourning a ‘Bittersweet’ Update About Season Six
     
     
    There has been a huge update for The White Lotus season 4
    TV and Film ‘Two Weeks in August’ Has Been Dubbed the 'British White Lotus' – Here’s What We Know About It
    Helena Bonham Carter attends the 2024 BAFTAs
    TV and Film One Cast Member Has Spoken Out About Helena Bonham Carter Leaving The White Lotus
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Erborian Triple Care BB Milk
    Skincare I Thought My Dull, Lifeless Skin Needed More Actives—This Milky Essence Was Actually the Solution
    A woman working out in the gym and drinking a green juice
    Nutrition GLP-1s Could Change More Than Your Appetite: What We Know About Their Impact on ADHD, Brain Health and Libido
     
     
    Autumn Nail Trends 2026
    Nails From Fawn Print to Milky Matcha—These Are Autumn 2026’s Defining Nail Trends
    A woman stretching, dry brushing, and taking supplements at home
    Wellbeing Meet the AI Wellness Influencers Making Dubious Health Claims—and What Their Boom Means for Women’s Health
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.