Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Is there a darker side to paradise of Love Island?
ON REALITY SHOW WANNABES
behaviours that don’t serve their selfesteem well. It’s a very unusual life.”
LIFE IN A GOLDFISH BOWL
Showbiz agent Melanie Blake warns it can be hard to know you’re being watched 24/7. She says: “Even professional actors who step into reality shows are vetted extremely well to check they are strong enough for the exposure of being ‘yourself ’ on screen.
“Sometimes, big names do not pass the tests. So when you watch shows like Love Island or TOWIE, your heart’s in your mouth for these young people exposed to millions of people, in essentially what is a lion’s den.”
Nicky Lidbetter, CEO of Anxiety UK, also warns: “The claustrophobic nature of constant surveillance, lack of privacy and competing personalities could potentially have an effect on the contestant’s emotional well-being.
“Additionally, being watched by millions of people who are judging your actions and appearance could impact on anxiety levels.” Love Island has, however, always taken welfare incredibly seriously. They have a psychologist on hand 24/7 during the show and a system of aftercare.
The show is not commenting other than to pay “deepest sympathies and thoughts” to Sophie’s family.
While her ex Tom yesterday said: “The show was crazy, but they took care of us. Anyone who says otherwise is talking bulls***. This morning, Love Island called me and said I could call the psychologist for the show. They gave her new number. She was one of the first people to speak to us.
“After you leave the show you speak to the psychologist and you were always checking in with her. We had a lot of care after the show. They took great care of us.”
And a show source said: “Duty of care has always been of paramount importance to Love Island. Islanders have access to a on-site psychologist before, during and after the show. And production will always intervene if they feel behaviour is unacceptable.”
21ST CENTURY FEMINISTS?
They’ve had girls squishing watermelons with their bums, but it’s the bedroom action that usually causes the most controversy.
So far this year, only stripper Megan Barton Hanson and Eyal Booker have done the deed.
Adam’s treatment of Rosie Williams has drawn outrage instead. Adam, 22, was called “emotionally abusive” by charity Women’s Aid.
Rosie, 26, performed a sex act on him, only for him to dump her the next day. When Rosie confronted him, he laughed she’d “acted like a child”. Kendall Rae-knight, 26, was the first to be dumped by Adam, then the show. He “nipped it in the bud” as she wanted to take it slow. Dr Spelman, We-vibe’s relationship expert, says: “Kendall said ‘No’ when it didn’t feel right. But unfortunately that meant she opted out of the fame element.” Adam last night apologised to Rosie as she became the latest to be eliminated.
BODY HANG-UPS
Calum Best last week posted a picture of himself, slim but with no six pack, from Love Island in 2005. He was considered the hunk of the show.
But now even the boys with eight packs, such as Wes Nelson, have been left feeling inferior by the likes of Adam’s supremely ripped body.
Dr Spelman says: “Seeing bodies like that on your TV every night does give young men and women a terrible idea of what they should look like.”
Love Island did not comment. But it’s likely only the body-conscious applied. Tellingly, when Rosie took revenge on Adam with a sexy shoot with Megan, she said she posts “sexy” Instagram snaps if a boy upsets her.