Love Island: Laura Whitmore leaves BBC Radio 5 Live after 4 years amid dating show’s success

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

Laura Whitmore has departed her BBC Radio 5 Live show amid the success of Love Island’s most recent series.

The Irish presenter has appeared on the station for four years, where she currently hosts the Sunday morning show.

However, with the eighth series of Love Island coming to an end in August, it was announced that Whitmore would not be returning to the airwaves.

Radio 5 Live controller Heidi Dawson told the MailOnline: “Laura has made the difficult ­decision to leave after a brilliant four years.

“We’d like to thank her for the energy, insight and humour she has brought to this programme and look forward to ­working with her again in the near future.”

Meanwhile, The Sun reports that Whitmore is leaving in order to make the most of the opportunities offered to her thanks to Love Island.

“Laura has already hinted she has other projects in the pipeline and she can’t find the time to continue with all her roles,” a source told the publication. “So something had to go, and it’s sad for listeners that this is what’s been jettisoned as she moves onwards and upwards.”

Whitmore was brought in to present Love Island for the January 2020 series while Caroline Flack was arrested for assaulting her partner. She remained as the show’s host following Flack’s death by suicide midway through the winter series.

The most recent series of Love Island has seen a boost in viewing figures, with the series opener in June the biggest launch since the 2019 series. It’s also been the most streamed series in Love Island history.

Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2.