Temptation Returns on Telecinco with Its 'Most Delirious' Edition

Paradise in the Dominican Republic opens its doors once again. 'The Island of Temptations' returns today with its ninth edition on Telecinco, promising to once again stir emotions, certainties, and the relationships of five couples who are — at least in theory — determined to prove that their love is stronger than temptation.

Telecinco and Mediaset Infinity will broadcast this new installment of the format produced by Cuarzo Producciones (Banijay Iberia), with Sandra Barneda returning as host. Following the great success of the previous edition, the network has opted for a more intense formula: three consecutive nights of broadcasting – Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, at 9:45 PM – to follow the 'awakening of temptation' almost in real-time.

The protagonists of this edition are Juanpi and Sandra, Gilbert and Claudia, Lorenzo and Nieves, Rodri and Helena, and Darío and Almudena, five couples who arrive convinced that their bond is unbreakable. But as the program's creators often say, 'no one is prepared for the island.' The moment they step on the sand, the rules change, and all certainties are shaken. Everything dissolves.

Barneda was particularly candid when discussing the emotional impact the show has on her. 'Sometimes I am overwhelmed by everything I receive. 'The Island of Temptations' has a very particular formula: it forces you to confront everything with total transparency, without a safety net, without knowing what will happen or how they will react. I have to react there and then, without overthinking.'

The host recalled the pressure she felt starting the recording of this ninth season after the success of the previous one, where the phenomenon of José Carlos Montoya went viral worldwide: 'The eighth was a huge success, and of course, when you go to record something like this, you think: what's going to happen now? But 'The Island' and love reinvent themselves every year.'

For Barneda, the show transcends the television format and becomes a reflection of contemporary love. 'I always say that 'The Island of Temptations' is a story of passions, of absolute vulnerability, of five couples who believe that love is stronger than temptation,' she warned. 'But when they set foot on the sand, everything dissolves. All their beliefs crumble, and for us, the game begins,' she explained.

During the filming of the ninth edition, Barneda encountered an especially intense shoot. 'I always like to name each edition while I'm filming, and I've called this one delirious,' she noted. 'From the first minute, I had the feeling that we were living parallel realities. I wondered: where are they, and where am I? There's a lot of drama, but also a lot of humor. It's so delirious that sometimes you laugh at the drama,' she added.

One of the standout moments, which Barneda wanted to mention without revealing too much, is 'the mirror.' 'For me, it's one of the most intense moments of this season. It's very cinematic, very symbolic, and marks a before and after. It contains a lot of truth and an enormous emotional charge. I can't reveal more, but remember that,' she hinted.

Regarding the participating couples, Barneda assured that 'they are five brave souls.' She especially mentioned Darío and Almudena, with eleven years of relationship: 'We will all identify with them. Also, Juanpi and Sandra, who have wonderful and very real moments. There's enormous authenticity in what they experience.'

Barneda confessed that this season she experienced the filming with more intensity than ever: 'This year I break the script at a level I hadn't done before,' she said. Because, as the writer also hinted, there are such surreal situations where she cannot remain silent.

Both the network and the producer promise to revolutionize the format with unprecedented twists and new dynamics that will test the five couples in the Dominican Republic. Among the main novelties is the surprise welcome: this time, it will be the singles who greet the couples on the beach, generating tension and uncertainty from the first minute before Sandra Barneda's arrival.

Moreover, the famous 'light of temptation' will reveal for the first time the identity of who crosses the limits, although it will only happen once throughout the edition. Another innovation will be the exclusive viewing for the singles, who will be able to privately watch images of the girls and decide if the boys should face them.

With these additions, 'The Island of Temptations' aims to captivate an audience that escapes with a format where anything can happen. The previous season closed with an average of 16.5% and 1,529,000 viewers, becoming the edition with the best 'share' of the format since the third, broadcast in 2021. Thus, Telecinco hopes the island will boost its general audience ratings, which in October fell below 10%.