Sam Thompson will no longer be seen Love Island: Aftersun.
East I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! the winner has been regular love island Panel of the spin-off program from 2023, but he will not be involved much this year as he is busy with other projects.
A source told Sun In the Sunday newspaper, “Sam has a busy schedule and the producers are going in a different direction so there will be little change in Aftersun.”
He added, “ITV is really keen to tap into new talent to boost ratings, particularly picking talent from its pool of influencers and TikTokers.”
The insider added, “Sam may return as a guest, he still loves the show, but he won’t be a regular.”
A spokesperson for the former Made in Chelsea The star confirmed that Sam has stepped back to focus on his “many other” presenting projects.
His representative said, “Sam loved his time as part of the Love Island team and the show will always have a special place in his heart, but he felt 2026 was the year to focus on his many other ITV projects.”
“Sam is a huge part of the ITV family and is looking forward to his upcoming I’m a Celeb South Africa final presenting role,” the spokesperson said.
Love Island: Aftersun The main show is presented by presenter Maya Jama, but has not been broadcast recently. love island all stars For logical reasons.
An insider revealed, “They didn’t even have Afterseason last time because Maya stays in South Africa for the duration of filming. It’s not practical to fly her up to London for a short show.”
He further added, “It’s about making things run seamlessly without compromising the main show.”
Meanwhile, Sam recently admitted that having a reality TV background can be a “double-edged sword” when it comes to career development.
Speaking at the screening of his new YouTube documentary, Sam explained, “It’s a weird thing isn’t it? Because when you do reality TV, I started in my early twenties, and you do stuff like that and there was no social media in the beginning, right?”
He also said, “So, you do these shows and right after that, you get a different job, whatever it is and it’s been a fun twenty years for me.”
“And then, you do this show and the industry unfolds in front of your face when there are all these doors, you try and walk through the doors and they’re closed very tightly,” Sam Thompson explained of how being a part of reality TV can sometimes unsettle a person.
