Love Island: How old do you have to be to go on the ITV reality show?

Age gaps in season eight have provoked consternation among viewers

This season of Love Island has prompted scrutiny of some of the age gaps between the on-screen couples.

ITV’s hit dating show returned for its eighth season on Monday 6 June with 11 contestants entering the villa.

However, the short-lived coupling of Gemma and Davide drew criticism from viewers over the eight-year age gap between them.

Michael Owen’s 19-year-old daughter is the youngest singleton in the villa. The second youngest was Liam at 22 years old, though he departed the series after just one week.

Many viewers have wondered whether or not the show imposes a minimum age requirement on potential contestants.

In fact, anyone over the age of 18 is eligible to apply to appear on Love Island. There is no upper age limit either, although contestants are usually in their 20s.

Here’s a guide of how to apply to appear on Love Island.

(ITV)

Besides the minimum age limit, there are also a number of other strictly enforced rules regarding who can and cannot apply.

Ahead of this series, contestants were offered inclusion training covering language around disability, sexuality, race and ethnicity, behaviours and microaggressions.

Read how how to apply to be on Love Island here.