Temptation Island's fifth-season premiere and cast of four new couples -- and the 16 sexy singles they'll be meeting -- have been revealed.
ADVERTISEMENT
USA Network has announced the new season of Temptation Island will premiere Wednesday, June 14 at 9PM ET/PT and be available to stream next day on Peacock.
Mark L. Walberg is set to return as host, and four new couples will be heading to Kona, Hawaii to test the potential and longevity of their respective romantic relationships.
"Passion, drama, and a roller coaster of emotions ensues as four new couples, including the first ever engaged couple... put their love to the test," teases the network.
The four couples starring on Temptation Island include Kaitlin Tufts, a 31-year-old fitness studio owner, and Hall Toledano, a 35-year-old leather salesman, who are from Charleston, SC, as well as Marisela Figueroa, a 24-year-old hospital interpreter, and Christopher Wells, a 30-year-old fitness instructor, who are from Atlanta, GA.
ADVERTISEMENT
Kaitlin and Hall had been dating for eight years prior to Temptation Island, and while Hall had put a ring on her finger, Kaitlin refused to set a wedding date.
Marisela and Christopher were together for two years prior to joining Temptation Island's cast.
The other two couples are Leonila "Paris" Pedro, a 23-year-old influencer, and Nzubechukwu "Great" Ezihie, a 25-year-old engineer, who are from Newark, NJ, as well as Vanessa Valente, a 34-year-old procurement manager, and Roberto Mal, a 24-year-old nursing student, who are from Los Angeles, CA.
Paris and Great first met on social media after Paris DM'ed him on Instagram to get his attention. They were dating for almost two years before testing their love, but they struggled to trust one another after a history of cheating.
Vanessa and Roberto met overseas in Qatar, and what they both thought was going to be a one-night stand turned into a long-term committed relationship.
ADVERTISEMENT
The couples in established relationships must determine whether they want to live the "single life" or if being single again is exactly what they don't want.
The couples, at a critical point in their relationships, will be tempted by 16 sexy single men and women looking to find true love.
By the end of the process, each couple must decide whether to commit to a lifetime together, leave single, or continue dating one of the sexy singles they had met on the island.
The single women are Abby Bryan from Wellington, FL; Alexius Adams from Dallas, TX; Desiree Almeida from Los Angeles, CA; Makayla Halstead from Albany, OR; Marjorie Guaracho from Boca Raton, FL; Nafeesah Terry from Fort Lauderdale, FL; Tamie Lawson from Los Angeles, CA; and Tia Hairston from Raleigh, NC.
The single men are Brice Robinson from Las Vegas, NV; Christian Tesoriero from Ramsey, NJ; Griffin Grady from Columbus, OH; Kristian Barbarich from Los Angeles, CA; Michael Zappa from San Diego, CA; Sebastian Baraza from Miami, FL; and Tahjjic Smitih from Dallas, TX.
ADVERTISEMENT
Temptation Island will kick off with a new mixer where the couples will talk and mingle with the singles who will be dating their partners, creating intrigue and tension as they each size up the potential competition.
There will also be a new dramatic twist this season in which a temptation light has been added to the houses.
"When it glows, it signifies that someone in a relationship has fallen into temptation, but the couples won't know if it's their partner or someone else in the house," reveals the network.
Temptation Island originally debuted on Fox over two decades ago. Mark also served as host when the original series -- the granddaddy of train-wreck relationship reality TV shows -- premiered in 2001 on Fox.
Temptation Island's basic concept -- tempting couples to cheat on their partner -- was considered controversial when it originally premiered in 2001 given the reality TV genre was still in its infancy at the time and largely focused on concepts considered tame by today's standards.
ADVERTISEMENT
Big Brother and Survivor had only premiered on CBS six months earlier in Summer 2000, and ABC's 2002 debut of The Bachelor was still more than a year away.
Joe Millionaire -- which was also produced by Temptation Island's producers -- would also only premiere on Fox two years later, in 2003, and even the 2002 debut of American Idol, the ratings goliath that would come to dominate the broadcast network for over a decade, was nearly 18 months away.
In addition, Temptation Island also generated additional headlines and buzz when one of the season's couples, Ytossie Patterson and Taheed Watson, were kicked off after producers allegedly discovered they had not disclosed they had a two-year-old child, violating casting requirements that the couples not have children.
Temptation Island's first season was a huge ratings hit and averaged nearly 17 million viewers over the course of its seven-episode season.
Fox then quickly renewed it for a second season that premiered in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in November 2001 and struggled in the ratings, resulting in the network shelving plans for additional Temptation Island seasons.
However, in January 2003 Fox announced it was reviving Temptation Island for a third season which ended up premiering in late August of that year.
Unfortunately, that six-episode season of Temptation Island also flopped in the ratings, and the reality series never returned -- until USA Network announced it had decided to revive the series in 2018.
USA Network's reboot of Temptation Island premiered in January 2019.
Temptation Island is produced by Banijay Studios North America and executive produced by David Goldberg and Trifari Williams.
Below is more USA Network-supplied information on Temptation Island's Season 5 cast:
- Kaitlin Tufts and Hall Toledano
Kaitlin is hesitant because three years into the relationship Hall broke things off because he was feeling terrified of commitment. Since then, they have made major strides and along with the engagement, they have purchased a house together.
ADVERTISEMENT
However, they seem to be in two different stages of their lives and the baggage of their past keeps coming back to haunt them. Hall is ready to settle down and have kids, while Kaitlin wants to start a business and acclimate to life in Charleston.
On the island, Kaitlin and Hall are looking to find clarity on how to move forward. Kaitlin hopes to understand where the disconnect lies while Hall thinks the experience will motivate Kaitlin to finalize their commitment and walk down the aisle.
- Vanessa Valente and Roberto Mal
With a 10-year age gap between them, Vanessa is done wasting her time. She was previously married and is now looking for someone to be the father of her children. She worries that Roberto is not ready to step up to the plate and Temptation Island is the perfect way to test his loyalty and commitment.
Roberto on the other hand is doing all he can to show her that he is mature and committed for the long haul.
While they have moved in together and built their lives around each other, they're hoping their time on the island will allow them to find a clear path to get past their conflicts and spend the rest of their lives together.
- Marisela Figueroa and Christopher Wells
Christopher is a sensitive over communicator while Marisela is a careless free spirit. While they both come from broken homes and have a history of being unfaithful with past partners, Christopher has entered his thirties and ready for marriage and believes Marisela is the one for him.
On the other hand, Marisela is indecisive to the idea of marriage even though she believes he is her soul mate. She has also tried to move past Christopher's infidelity but holds on to some resentment still.
These underlying frustrations have created a standstill in their relationship and they hope their time on island will bring them closer together.
- Leonila "Paris" Pedro and Nzubechukwu "Great" Ezihie
While they are willing to do whatever it takes to make things work between them, they are not yet on the same page. Paris would like to take their relationship to the next level and get engaged soon.
It's customary in her Angolan culture to get married young and start a family. Although this is similar to Great's Nigerian culture, he wants to take things a little slower and move in together first.
They are optimistic that spending time on the island will help align their timelines.