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Love Island is under fire for an all-new kind of controversy. The latest season of the reality TV dating show is making headlines not for its romantic drama, but for what is being called “bullying, abusive behavior and misogyny.”
Now that it’s been revealed that thousands of complaints have been filed against the show, media company Ofcom has spoken out. Instead of owning the matter, however, it seems Ofcom is determined to sweep everything under the rug.
Indeed, it seems like the latest season of Love Island stirred up a lot of controversy, with more than 14,000 viewers filing complaints—the most the show has seen in four years, according to a report from BBC. Most of the backlash centered around claims of bullying, emotional manipulation, and concerns for the contestants’ mental health.
One episode in particular, which aired on July 24, drew over 3,500 complaints on its own, mostly related to how Shakira Khan was treated. A spokesperson for the show explained that while they did assess the myriad complaints, they would not be moving forward with “a formal investigation.”
They noted that they felt the episode coverage showed the incident being resolved:
We carefully assessed the complaints we received about this series of Love Island. We recognise that emotionally charged or confrontational scenes can upset some viewers. But, in our view, negative behaviour in the villa was not shown in a positive light, and contestants were seen supporting or apologising to each other.
“We also took into account that the format of this reality show is well-established, and viewers would expect to see highs and lows as relationships and friendships are tested,” the spokesperson noted.
ITV Also Denies Allegations Of Racist Editing
Another issue that some of the complaints pointed to questionable editing on the show. Some contestants claimed that moments of the episode and the way that certain contestants were portrayed could feel racist. To this, TV network ITV also issued an official statement denying the claims:
We would take any suggestion that any editorial decisions are made based on race very seriously indeed and would refute this in the strongest possible terms.
Those behind the series also claimed that there were precautions in place to protect contestants’ mental health. They noted that they offered “comprehensive psychological support” as well as continued support “following [cast members’] participation on the show.”
Longtime viewers of the show will know that the most recent season ended in a tight race—contestants Toni Laites and Cach Mercer emerged as the winners of the twelfth series, which wrapped up with the finale episode on August 4th. Tori and Cach claimed the victory with just 33.5% of the public vote, narrowly beating out runners-up Shakira Khan and Harry Cooksley, who came in at 26.2%, making it the tightest final result in the show’s history.
After exiting the villa victorious, it appears that the couple’s connection is still going strong. Toni has noted she plans to relocate to the UK, and there have even been rumors of her getting her own reality show, possibly following her life back in Las Vegas, meaning it’s possible this isn’t the last of her we’ve seen on TV.
