Dr Alex calls for more diversity on Love Island, both in looks and professions
The A&E doctor stood out on this year's series for his profession
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Former Love Island-er Dr Alex George has called for greater diversity on the reality TV series, regarding both looks and contestants’ professions.
The A&E doctor - who became known as Dr Alex - appeared on this year’s Love Island and has asked producers to cast their nets wider when searching for singletons for the ITV show.
“I think diversity is very important, not just in the way you look but in backgrounds and what people do for a living,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
This year’s crop of Love Island contestants featured an array of models and personal trainers, but also a lawyer, Rosie Williams, and Dr Alex.
But the reality contest came under intense scrutiny and criticism this year for the lack of diversity amongst contestants, mainly regarding body shapes and race.
Since leaving the villa, contestant Alexandra Cane has criticised the show for not featuring people in larger bodies.
Alexandra was considered by many viewers to be more relatable in body shape than the other women on the show, but she has since revealed that she’s a size eight - the average dress size for women in the UK is 16.
“The crazy thing is, I’m a size eight so for that to be curvy - the barrier wasn’t broken,” she told The Sun.
“Bigger sizes clearly weren’t accepted, for me as a size eight to go into the villa and be the biggest girl that is quite shocking to me. I’m still glad I could do it for the ladies.”
Half of this year’s winning couple, Jack Fincham, has also revealed he felt self-conscious about his body while on the show.
“Before I went in, I’ve seen the show so many times before and I just thought I know I’m going to walk around this corner and there’s just going to be abs and biceps everywhere,” he said on Good Morning Britain.
“Just before I went in I was a bit like ‘I can’t do it, I can’t do it.’ Then I thought do you know what, this is a big opportunity, just go for it and use your personality, so I just went in, I went for it.
“But I was so body conscious going in there at the start, and then as it went on I was being more free with my body.”
Despite the criticisms, Love Island bosses have defended the casting, saying the show was “aspirational” and shows the contestants working out for the bodies they have.
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