Love Island criticised as ex-contestants receive death threats

Islanders from past seasons have spoken out about receiving vitriolic comments online

Love Island might be ITV2’s most-watched show ever, but the reality series, which sees contestants form couples and compete for a £50,000 prize, is steeped in controversy, with several stars receiving death threats after leaving the show.

The programme’s duty of care to its cast came under scrutiny last month after the death of former contestant Sophie Gradon, who is believed to have struggled psychologically with the attention that being on the show brought her.

Speaking on the Victoria Derbyshire show on Thursday, season two contestant Tina Stinnes revealed how she received messages from people wanting to throw acid in her face.

When asked how she copes with such threats, the 23-year-old Londoner explained she tries to brush them off as fatuous.

“I look at it as it’s a child,” she said, “it might not always be and I think you’ve obviously got to be careful but I can handle it and deal with it but I mean obviously it’s not nice for anyone to get anything like that.”

Appearing alongside Stinnes on the programme was Rosie Williams, who explained she’s been fairly “lucky” and hasn’t received too many vitriolic messages from trolls online since departing the show two weeks ago.

“Anything I do have it’s only on my own page and I just delete it straight away and I just think you don’t actually deserve any time on my page.

“It’s not the show’s fault, it’s not the producers’ fault, it’s the individuals writing it. It’s their fault, it’s their problem.”

Season three contestant Chris Hughes added that ITV take great lengths to ensure contestants receive psychological care before, after and during the show.

A spokesperson for Love Island confirmed that the show takes its duty of care “very seriously”.

“We discuss with Islanders, before and after the show, how their lives might change and the difficulties they might face," they said.

“We direct them towards taking on professional representation after the villa, and help them through this process, so that they have experienced help as they face those pressures.”

Stinnes is not the only former Love Island star to have received death threats.

In June, contestant Eyal Booker’s older brother revealed how his family had been inundated with “disgusting death threats” after scenes aired showing his brother kissing fellow contestant Megan Barton-Hanson.

Speaking to Heart, Ariel Booker said he found the messages regarding his brother, who has since left the show, “absurd”.

“I understand it all comes with reality TV but I think sending someone death threats for kissing a girl in front of someone else is ridiculous.”

Meanwhile, last year’s contestant Olivia Attwood has also spoken out about being targeted by trolls following her appearance on the show.

Speaking on the Victoria Derbyshire programme in August 2017, the 27-year-old revealed that her family received a lot of “abuse” during her time in the villa.

“Since I came out, a lot of it I couldn’t repeat on breakfast television, it’s pretty severe,” she added.

“It’s death threats, it’s people making personal comments. A significant amount, saying things like ‘you should die.’”

Former contestant Zara Holland also recently revealed she receives similar comments to this day, despite appearing on the show two years ago:

“I got a message recently from a woman saying ‘I know how ugly you are, I want to punch you in the face’,” she told the Daily Mail.

Other former contestants who have publicly spoken out about receiving death threats since leaving the show include Gabby Allen and Tyla Carr.