Love Island Tabloid Frenzy

The winter season of ITV2’s reality show ‘Love Island’ is currently being filmed at Ludus Magnus – part of the Two Rivers Estate – at a reported cost of £1.2 million. The location, like the show, has caused a frenzy of reports in the UK and international tabloid press.

The 2020 winter season of the show was filmed in Constantia, but according to the tabloids, the show’s producers have concluded that Constantia’s proximity to the Cape Flats now makes it too dangerous to film there! This supposedly prompted the decision to move it to Franschhoek, or Groot Drakenstein to be more exact.

According to various tabloids the producers could however not shake their security concerns entirely, now apparently worried about “kidnap gangs that target wealthy visitors”. For this reason, security teams are stationed inside the perimeter of the estate and a “hotline [was] established to both armed response and the local police, so that ‘the heavy cavalry would be on their way in seconds’ if necessary”.

The Tatler spoke with the Franschhoek SAPS station commander, Colonel Rossouw, regarding the filming. He confirmed that as far as SAPS crime intelligence is concerned there aren’t specific security concerns regarding the filming and that the private security company employed by the producers is more than up to the task. He also pointed out that no special security arrangements were deemed necessary at the hotels where the crews are staying.

Much has been made of Ludus Magnus’ 17 bedrooms, Olympic-length swimming lanes, rugby and football pitch, running track, tree house getaway and off-the-grid status. Some tabloids also mentioned that the location overlooks Drakenstein Correctional Services which “houses murderers, including serial killers” and expressed concern