Gaslighting storm on Love Island
But this time it’s a woman accused of bullying a man
CONTROVERSIAL reality show Love Island is at the centre of a gaslighting row after one of its female contestants launched a foul-mouthed tirade against her former on-screen male partner.
Viewers have complained to Ofcom over Faye Winter’s outburst at Teddy Soares, while a previous winner accused her of ‘emotional abuse’.
Friday night’s drama began when old clips were aired to the cast, revealing the moment Mr Soares, 26, had a flirty conversation with former contestant Clarisse Juliette. He had declared himself as ‘technically single’ despite being paired with Miss Winter, also 26.
She was left furious, raised her middle finger, repeatedly told him to ‘f*** off’ and called him ‘stupid’.
When Mr Soares tried to explain they had a joint problem, she screamed: ‘It’s not our problem it’s a “you” problem. Everything shown on that f ****** screen I told you. I have no problem, but I’ve got a problem with you. So it’s a “you” problem.’
As he calmly tried to speak to her, she replied: ‘I asked you to walk off. I don’t want to speak to you because you look like a twofaced p **** . Now f*** off!’
She later added: ‘If you want to talk about my reactions to your actions then you can f*** off! You stupid, stupid boy. F*** off.’ Mr Soares was comforted by the other male contestants, telling them: ‘She’s always looking for an excuse to walk away from this situation and that’s what probably hurts the most.’
Miss Winter then declared to the other female residents of the villa that the relationship was ‘so done’, adding: ‘If I never speak to him again, then that’s cool.’
Outraged fans accused Miss Winter, a lettings manager from Devon, of gaslighting – a form of psychological manipulation in which a person makes their victim question their sanity and reality.
Others pointed out that if it had been Mr Soares being so aggressive to a female contestant, he would have been booted off Love Island.
Chris Hughes, who came third in the show in 2017, took to Twitter, saying: ‘Emotional abuse is the worst. There’s no nastier trait than gaslighting, it can literally ruin you in so many ways.
‘In my opinion gaslighting is the most emotionally abusing thing you can do. It leaves you feeling numb, weak and helpless.’
Other fans praised the patience of Mr Soares, and some who had complained to Ofcom shared their acknowledgment emails from the TV regulator.
The astonishing row comes amid ITV’s promise to increase its mental health support following the suicides of two previous contestants, Sophie Gradon in 2018 and Mike Thalassitis the following year.
An ITV spokesman said last night: ‘Welfare and duty of care towards our contributors is always our primary concern, and we take the emotional wellbeing of all the Islanders extremely seriously.
‘We have dedicated welfare producers and psychological support on hand at all times who monitor and regularly speak to all the Islanders in private and off camera, especially if someone appears to be upset.
‘All the Islanders are therefore fully supported by the professionals on site and by their friends in the villa. Islanders can always reach out and talk to someone if they feel the need.’