Amazon Studios has pulled the plug on “Love Island France,” which was shooting outside of Cape Town, as the coronavirus pandemic that has disrupted production across the globe spreads to the South African film and TV industry.
The decision comes just two weeks into the show’s run, and follows a televised address by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Sunday night, in which he declared a “national state of disaster” as the country’s confirmed cases of coronavirus rose to 62.
The measures include a travel ban on nationals from the U.S., U.K., China, Italy, Germany, South Korea, Iran and Spain, while foreign nationals who visited high-risk countries in the past 20 days will also be denied entry.
The show’s first episode premiered on Amazon on March 2. There have been 12 episodes in total, as the show is stripped across the full week, with round-up episodes on Saturday nights.
“Following the announcement by the South African president that the country is now in a ‘state of disaster,’ Amazon Studios’ production of ‘Love Island France’ will end early,” said a spokesperson for ITV Studios France, which produces the show for Amazon.
“The health and safety of the production team, the contestants and all people involved is our utmost priority, so we have ended production on this season now.”
ITV Studios France said Amazon Prime members will be able to vote for their favorite couple after the last episode of “Love Island France” airs on Prime Video Monday night, with the results announced online through the series’ social media accounts.
“Love Island” has been a massive hit in the U.K., where the ITV Studios-distributed reality show has won a BAFTA and broken ratings records. Remake rights have sold into the U.S. and other international markets.
Last month, the U.K. series’ first winter edition was temporarily pulled from the airwaves after the Feb. 15 suicide of former host Caroline Flack.