ITV PLUNGED INTO CRISIS
Bosses WILL show rest of Love Island despite four tragedies
ITV was facing a reality show crisis last night after the suicide of presenter Caroline Flack.
But after talks yesterday, the broadcaster decided to push ahead with the current series of Love Island.
Formerly fronted by Miss Flack, it had already come under intense scrutiny after the suicides of two former contestants in the past two years.
Two episodes of the ITV2 dating show were cancelled over the weekend but it is set to return tonight with a tribute to its former host.
Miss Flack stepped down from her presenting role in December after she was arrested for an alleged assault on her boyfriend Lewis Burton, 27.
The decision to press on with the show, which is due to finish next weekend, shocked industry insiders who expected the broadcaster to cancel it after her death.
Two former contestants – Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis – have taken their lives over the past two years, and Miss Gradon’s boyfriend also killed himself weeks after her death.
One of ITV’s most high-profile presenters, Eamonn Holmes, questioned whether the series should continue out of ‘respect’ for Caroline Flack. Writing on Twitter he said: ‘Caroline Flack... Dear God. Shocked beyond belief. May she have found peace.
‘Has to be repercussions for Love Island now surely?’
He later added: ‘Meaning out of Respect, can the series continue?’
The main sponsors of Love Island, take away service Just Eat, said it was backing ITV’s decision to pull episodes at the weekend.
Yesterday sources at the broadcaster defended it against suggestions it had not supported Miss Flack enough after her arrest and subsequent charge for assaulting Mr Burton.
An ITV insider said last night: ‘We have been in contact with her and
‘Can the series continue?’
her agent numerous times from the time of the incident in December. We had offered our support to her. We had asked and got reassurances that she was seeking whatever support she needed to help her through this period.
‘We offered our own help and said it is available to her. Caroline and her team were managing their way through that and we offered to provide any support that might be necessary or appropriate.’
The source added: ‘Caroline had an enduring relationship with the Love Island team, with [presenter] Laura Whitmore and [narrator] Iain Stirling. Despite what was happening in her personal life Caroline always indicated her positivity towards Love Island and its place in her life.’
After Saturday and Sunday night’s editions of the ITV2 dating show were pulled, there had been speculation about whether the rest of the series would air.
But yesterday the broadcaster said it would be back tonight with a tribute to Miss Flack.
Confirming that the show would air an ITV spokesman said: ‘Many people at ITV knew Caroline well and held her in great affection. All of us are absolutely devastated at this tragic news.’ Explaining the reasons for cancelling Sunday night’s show he said: ‘After careful consultation between Caroline’s representatives and the Love Island production team and given how close we still are to the news
‘Forever in our hearts’
of Caroline’s tragic death we decided not to broadcast Sunday’s Love Island out of respect for Caroline’s family.
‘Love Island will return on Monday night, which will include a tribute to Caroline who will be forever in our hearts.’
Miss Flack is the fourth person linked to the ITV2 dating programme to have killed themselves. Contestant Miss Gradon, who took part in the 2016 series, was found dead in 2018 at the age of 32. Her boyfriend Aaron Armstrong, 25, killed himself three weeks later. Mike Thalassitis, who took part in the show in 2017, was 26 when he was found dead in March last year.
Last night the hash tag #cancelloveisland was trending on Twitter. Users branded the programme’s format ‘toxic’ and questioned why it was still on air after four suicides when the Jeremy Kyle Show was cancelled after one.
Miss Flack, who was described as ‘vulnerable’ by her management, stepped down from presenting the winter series of Love Island after she was alleged to have assaulted Mr Burton at her flat in Islington, north London, in December.
She entered a not guilty plea to a charge of assault at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court and was released on bail, with conditions that stopped contact with her boyfriend ahead of a trial in March.