
It's the biggest TV hit of the summer, with perfectly bronzed contestants carrying out their steamy liaisons against a backdrop of blue skies, stunning sunsets and an 'idyllic' holiday villa.

But behind the scenes at ITV's hottest reality show life appears a little less than perfect, with exclusive pictures revealing a set made from plywood and an infinity pool that overlooks trailing wires, solar panels and rubble.

MailOnline tracked down the villa on the holiday island of Mallorca where contestants form intimate relationships with each other in an apparently flawless setting.

But pictures taken from countryside surrounding the rustic villa show how ITV has gone to astonishing lengths to create the perfect impression, with a vast set constructed in the grounds of the ancient farmhouse.

Pampered contestants bathe in the sun by the infinity pool, while metres away crew members attend to the plywood set, amongst heavy duty camera equipment, satellite dishes, tarpaulins, ladders and even a giant rubbish sack.

Behind the scenes: Pictures show how much of the idyllic setting, complete with infinity pool and hot tub, has been created in the grounds of a stunning Mallorca farmhouse. Pictured: A member of the crew works on the wooden set as contestants relax nearby

New walls: The beautiful farmhouse taken over by Love Island has been amended to create a villa 'five times bigger' than last year, with scaffolding and a plastic rubbish sack visible from a public footpath

Lights, camera, action! The camera pans along the infinity pool section of the set on a buggy with huge wheels to navigate the stony ground

Stunning location: The Love Island villa seen from the rolling countryside nearby, where crew have constructed wooden verandas to expand the villa and spend 'gruelling' days under the lights to keep the show rolling

The show is filmed in rolling hills near Sant Llorenc des Cardassar, a sunsoaked Mallorcan village where baffled locals have seen an influx of more than 200 cast and crew who enjoy relaxing in local bars after a long day on the set.

MailOnline overheard several tired production staff commiserating with one another into their drinks, branding the Love Islanders 'fake, horrible and self-obsessed'.

In a public bar, the team members shared their thoughts about the romances that have gripped TV viewers.

One crew member - clearly just as transfixed by Islanders' liaisons as the 1.8million viewers who are tuning in - was overheard saying: 'Gabby doesn't love Marcel, no way, not one bit.

'She's always slagging him off and her kisses aren't sincere.

'She plays up in the diary room. She just wants a new story line.'

Sunsoaked set: The setting for the Love Island show is a rustic farmhouse deep in the rolling hills of Mallorca where up to 200 crew spend gruelling days filming

Letting off steam: MailOnline overheard several tired production staff commiserating with one another into their drinks, branding the Love Islanders 'self-obsessed'

Behind the scenes: Pictures of the set show how dramatically the ancient farmhouse has been altered to accommodate the islanders, with plywood walls and new 'sheds' to house showering facilities and crew

Hideaway: The view into the villa where the 'infinity pool' is based is a far cry from the one seen on the show. The Love Island villa is guarded 24 hours a day by the elite SPG security firm, which told MailOnline: 'The Love Island set would like to remain discreet. We do not welcome visits from fans.'

Adapted: Contestants lounge in the sun by the 'infinity' pool, which has been created by the illusion of raising the garden wall

Pool maintenance: Contestants relax in the sun as the show but the setting seen from the surrounding countryside looks less glamorous

Another added: 'Kem and Amber always play up to the camera.

'They're all so annoying. All they ever talk about is how many twitter followers they have. So what?

'And their Instagram pictures are just selfies.

'Self-obsessed tw*ts.'

Putting in their tuppence worth, a third crew member, growled of one of the contestants: 'She's f***ing fake!

And finally as the bar closed, another crew member was heard saying: 'She is horrible, I feel so sorry for [her partner]!'

ITV insisted the sentiments did not reflect their view of the contestants. Other crew members were seen taking advantage of the stunning filming location as they relaxed with beers at a nighttime beach party.

Back on set, pictures reveal that the idyllic holiday 'villa' also has its flaws, with much of it created from plywood.

Images from behind the scenes show how the rustic farmhouse has been amended, with scaffolding, ladders, and apparent changes to the garden wall to create the illusion of an infinity pool.

Party night: The night action in Sant Llorenc, a short drive from the Love Island villa, takes place on the beach where members of the production crew occasionally relax with a beer at the end of a long day. There is no suggestion any of the people pictured made disparaging remarks about Love Island stars

Beers on the beach: On the strand at Sant Llorenc, the party carries on well after dark with visitors and locals enjoying a drink on the sand. There is no suggestion any Love Island crew members pictured made disparaging remarks about stars on the show

Fun on the sand: Some crew members were seen taking advantage of the stunning filming location as they relaxed with beers at a nighttime beach party. There is no suggestion any Love Island crew members pictured made disparaging remarks about stars on the show

Elsewhere - perhaps understandably given the busy production schedule - a large plastic rubbish sack has been left lying around, while wires crisscross the ground.

Crew can be seen sweating over their tools and equipment as pampered contestants soak up the rays of the Mediterranean sunshine by the pool.

The centuries old 'finca', or estate, is almost overshadowed from that side by white external plywood, metres of decking, astro-turf lawn and even fake walls that have been built to create Love Island's 'brand new villa'.

'Doesn't it look beautiful?' Love Island host Caroline Flack exclaimed when she promoted the ITV reality show on This Morning the day before the first contestants arrived on 2 June.

'It's five times bigger than the last time. We've got more nooks and crannies. There are more hideaways places so that they can have more privacy with cameras.'

The Love Island villa is guarded 24 hours a day by the elite SPG security firm, which told MailOnline: 'The Love Island set would like to remain discreet. We do not welcome visits from fans.'

Stars of the show: The view of the pool from seen by anyone watching Love Island is stunning, as seen here with Sam Gowland and Georgia Harrison chatting during episode 39

Landscaping: Flowers planted at the end of the garden mask the view of the production kit below, as Sam Gowland and Tyla Carr chat by the pool during episode 39 of Love Island

Catching some rays: The cameras trained on Jamie Jewitt as he speaks to Chris Hughes about Olivia, during episode 38 are operated by crew who number as many as 200

Romantic location: Weary crew showed they are as transfixed by the antics of the Love Islanders as the viewers, but are also becoming irritated with them. 'They're all so annoying', one was overheard saying. 'All they ever talk about is how many twitter followers they have. So what?'

Secret location: The twinkling lights at night disguise the extent to which the grounds of the rustic Mallorca farmhouse has been converted into a set

Meanwhile down the steep gravel track that leads from the Love Island villa to the quiet country town of Sant Llorenc des Cardassar some six kilometres away the elderly couple who run the Sumo Supermercado reveal how they played an unlikely starring role in the show.

The couple, manager Bernardo Galmes and assistant Maria, became embroiled in the 'garlico' scandal when contestants Olivia and Chris popped into the charming little shop for spaghetti bolognese ingredients.

Manager Bernardo Galmes told MailOnline: 'I like Love Island. I have watched the show on the internet. It's something different. It's normal to be interested in something new in the village.

'I don't know exactly what is going on but it seems to be very popular. And it brings people to the village which is good. I like it.'

'The cast came into the shop about three weeks ago. I had to close up. There were people waiting outside but it was the only way for them to do the filming. They were in here for about an hour.'

View from the town: Maria, a shop worker in Sant Llorence, became an unlikely star of Love Island when contestants Olivia and Chris popped into the charming little shop for spaghetti bolognese ingredients, requesting 'garlico'. Maria told MailOnline the attention was welcome, add: 'I've watched it, I think it's funny'

Forced to shut up shop: Manager Bernardo Galmes told MailOnline he had been asked to close for filming, but said: 'I like Love Island. I have watched the show on the internet. It's something different. It's normal to be interested in something new in the village'

Out on the town: The quiet streets of Sant Llorenc, Mallorca, near where ITV's Love Island show is being filmed, have played host to the 'islanders' and crew members are staying locally

Standing at the till shop worker Maria added: 'I've watched it too. I think it's funny especially because it is filmed here in Sant Llorenc.'

However the majority of people in Sant Llorenc des Cadassar and hotel and bar owners from the other towns that are benefitting from the economic boost that Love Islands remain baffled by the reality TV show.

Juan Coto, the owner of the picturesque boutique hotel Ses Cases de Fetget, where Sam and Olivia enjoyed a romantic night away from the villa, told MailOnline: 'I've never watched Love Island but I understand that it is a reality TV show.

Love nest: The neighbouring Villa 'Alchemy' doubles as the location of Casa Amor Villa, the 'secret villa' where the boys were sent to meet new residents

Secret hideaway: The entrance to the Alchemy villa which is now on the market for £2,551,654 (€2,900,000)

'I had a call from the production company to say that they wanted to do some filming here. I said why not.

'Overall it was fine but there it's not easy having filming going on while you have other guests in the hotel and restaurant.

'When they were filming dinner, the production crew were asking the other guests to keep quiet.

'Obviously the guests just wanted to enjoy their meals and converse as normal so it was a bit difficult.'

Sant Llorenc des Cardassar's mayor Mateu Puigros has also welcomed the show, revealing that ITV has paid thousands for all the relevant permits and was providing welcome income to hotels, restaurants and other businesses associated with the 200-strong film crew.

One notable exception is retired farmer Guillermo Fullaha, 77.

He told MailOnline: 'I don't think we want these people here, making dirty films and giving our town a bad name.

'Tourism in general has been very good for Mallorca. But we don't want this kind of tourism, sex tourism, it's not nice.'

Felix Trappe, owner of Es Pati restaurant in Sant Llorenc des Cardassar, where Mike had three dates, said: 'The filming went OK, everybody was very nice and they seemed to enjoy the food and they seemed very happy when they left, like most of our customers. There's not a lot else I can say.'

'Made life difficult': Staff at the picturesque boutique hotel Ses Cases de Fetget, where Sam and Olivia enjoyed a romantic night away from the villa revealed that crew had asked other guests to 'quieten down' so the Love Islanders could get on with their date

Bit part: Juan Coto, pictured above, said the shoot at Hotel Ses Cases de Fetget meant other guests were asked to keep the noise down while they ate in the hotel restaurant. He said: 'It's not easy having filming going on while you have other guests in the hotel and restaurant'. The manager of the Hotel Lagos Garden in Cala Rajada, right, where the female contestants enjoyed a day of pampering at the lavish spa said: 'I haven't watched Love Island [but] they spent all day filming in the spa.'

Pamper day: The luxurious Hotel Lagos Garden spa was the backdrop for a day of relaxation for the women in the show. Pictured: Chloe Crowhurst and Montana Brown

Flirt central: The manager of the modern Can Solaies Hotel in the centre of Sant Llorenc, which has regularly appeared in the show, raised her eyebrows with a weary expression when asked about Love Island. Jonny and Camilla and Montana and Amber have all flirted within the boutique hotel's walls, pictured above.

Tricky: Guests at the Hotel de Fetget were asked to quiet down while crews for Love Island shot a date night

The manager of the Hotel Lagos Garden in Cala Rajada, where the female contestants enjoyed a day of pampering at the lavish spa added: 'I haven't watched Love Island. I don't really know what it is about.

'But I remember a film crew coming here about a month ago.

'They had some young women with them.

'They spent all day filming in the spa.'

ITV says the disparaging remarks made by members of the production crew about the Love Island contestants do not represent the view of the show or of ITV.

Spokesman Justin Jeffreys told MailOnline: 'These comments do not represent the views of the show or the channel'.

He added: 'The Islanders live in a real villa. This has naturally had some developments and alterations in order to accommodate a TV crew, cameras, etc.

'As viewers will know, the islanders' communal bedroom is within the main villa. There is also a bed in the hideaway.

'Any suggestion of fakery on the show is completely untrue.'

Baffled: The mayor of the charming Mallorcan village of Sant Llorenc was pleased with the additional business that 200 extra visitors represented but some residents remain bemused by the show