Celebs Go Dating is back for a 14th time this year – but two of its stars have apparently broken the rules in the first week of filming.
The E4 reality series sees celebrities go on dates with regular members of the public to see if opposites do indeed attract.
Beginning in 2016, it’s become one of Channel 4’s most successful exports, having already broadcast more than 250 episodes on E4 in nine years.
With brand new episodes still a while away, the upcoming latest season has already stirred up drama after two contestants reportedly broke the rules.
It’s been rumoured that Love Island star Olivia Hawkins and Too Hot To Handle’s Louis Russell have ‘grown close’ during filming in Ibiza.
Get personalised updates on Love Island
Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you.
One of the conditions of Celebs Go Dating is that the celebrities cannot date each other… but the pair have seemingly developed feelings for one another already.
In a photograph obtained by The Sun, the pair were spotted sharing a poolside kiss as the celebrities for this year’s season got to know each other.
Speaking to MailOnline, a source said: ‘Olivia and Louis are all over each other. It’s only been days since filming started in Ibiza but they’re already so close.
‘They are very much each other’s types and the attraction was instant,’ they continued, but admitted that a budding romance would be ‘not ideal for producers’.
The source added: ‘The show has become famous for celebrities hooking up instead of forming long-lasting relationships with the contestants, which is the whole point.’
Olivia first rose to prominence on Love Island in 2019 as well as pursuing a career in acting, making minor appearances in Netflix series Top Boy and James Bond film No Time to Die.
Louis, on the other hand, was a contestant during the fifth and sixth seasons of Netflix reality dating series Too Hot to Handle.
If the rumours are true, it wouldn’t be the first time something like this has happened, with Joey Essex breaking the rules for the same reason during the show’s first outing.
Joey began dating The Hills actress Stephanie Pratt during the first season, which saw him expelled from the competition initially, only to return for season two.
Disgraced reality TV star Stephen Bear broke the rules in 2017 by dating a celebrity outside the Celebs Go Dating agency, and in 2021 Sophie Hermann and DJ Tom Zanetti were both thrown out for getting close.
In 2023, fashion model Lottie Moss and Love Island star and fitness coach Adam Collard also began dating each other against the show’s rules.
Olivia and Louis will be heading into Celebs Go Dating alongside Kerry Katona and S Club 7 member Jon Lee, with rumours that Celebrity Big Brother’s Chris Hughes will also be going in.
Christine McGuinness had apparently been involved at the start following her divorce from husband Paddy, but is said to have departed from the competition just a few days into filming.
Metro has contacted Channel 4 for clarification.
Watch episodes of Celebs Go Dating on Channel 4 online.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.