Love Island hypocrisy in wake of star’s death
THEY had urged viewers to ‘be kind’ in a TV message following the death of former presenter Caroline Flack.
But Love Island’s producers were accused of hypocrisy yesterday after they then pitted contestants against one another in a poisonous showdown.
ITV and its sponsor, food delivery firm Just Eat, replaced the usual adverts in Monday night’s show with messages featuring the Samaritans helpline and the hashtag #BeKind.
But the show’s contestants had to vote for which of their rival couples they thought was the most fake, likely to cheat, vain and attention seeking.
Viewers said the challenge was ‘inappropriate’ and it prompted fresh calls for the controversial series to be scrapped.
An inquest into Miss Flack’s death is due to open in east London today although the coroner is expected to postpone the full hearing until later this year.
The 40-year-old killed herself in her flat in Stoke Newington, north-east London, on Saturday after getting confirmation she was to stand trial for an alleged assault against her boyfriend.
ITV did not screen Love Island for two nights after her death but it resumed on Monday with a tribute to the star, who presented the first five series.
Viewers questioned whether it posed a risk to the mental health of contestants, who have not been told about Miss Flack’s death.
She was the fourth person linked to the show to take their own life following the deaths of former contestants Sophie Gradon, 32, and Mike Thalassitis, 26, and Miss Gradon’s boyfriend Aaron Armstrong, 25.
Author and former television producer Jane Fallon tweeted: ‘I wasn’t sure where I stood on the “should they cancel this season of Love Island” debate until I just tried to watch last night’s ep.
‘It feels horribly trivial & frivolous & I can’t help worrying it’s going to be seriously detrimental to the contestants’ mental health when they come out, completely oblivious of the news.’
Another viewer, Chloe Kehoe, tweeted: ‘@LoveIsland not exactly practising what they preach... forcing the contestants to be not so kind in voting their least favourite couples... #hypocrites.’
ITV has yet to clarify if the show’s summer series will go ahead.
Friends continued to pay tribute to Miss Flack, who had suffered from depression and panic attacks and took anti-depressants.
Former glamour model Nicola McLean told Dan Wootton’s TalkRadio show the presenter had said she was ‘really sad’ and sent worrying messages to friends the day before her death.
She also said Miss Flack considered pleading guilty in her assault trial – despite believing herself to be innocent.
She was arrested in December for the alleged assault of her boyfriend Lewis Burton, 27. Her agent accused prosecutors of putting her through a ‘ show trial’. Miss McLean said: ‘She would say, “I’ll plead guilty so this all goes away”, but she did not want to plead guilty because she did not think she was, and neither do I.’
Mr Burton had told prosecutors he did not want the trial, set for next month, to go ahead.
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or go to www.samaritans.org.