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Love Island has once again landed itself in hot water, with more than 1,100 viewers lodging official complaints with Ofcom over the behaviour of some of this year’s contestants.
The hit ITV2 dating show, currently in its 11th season, has seen tensions boil over in recent episodes, and fans at home were quick to criticise what they saw as “bullying” and “misogyny”, accusing producers of failing to intervene.
According to The Sun, a staggering 884 complaints were recorded following a heated argument between Yasmin and Ben that aired on June 26. Fans branded Ben, a taxi driver from London, “the biggest child in the villa” and called for him to be removed from the show after locking horns with Yasmin over their fledgling romance.
Love Island has reportedly been hit with a massive 1138 Ofcom complaints. Credit: ITV
The following evening, another 131 complaints were filed after viewers were left outraged by a secret smooch between Helena and Harrison in the hideaway. Harrison had been coupled up with Toni at the time, leaving her visibly heartbroken on screen. Fans claimed the incident was poorly handled by producers and accused them of letting inappropriate behaviour slide.
Meg also came under scrutiny from viewers for her conduct in the villa, although Ofcom has not specified which scenes prompted those complaints.
These incidents come just days after another 123 complaints were logged over fallout from the infamous Look Who’s Talking game, which caused rifts between several islanders.
Love Island viewers have already called for Ben to be axed. Credit: ITV
The ongoing saga between Ben and Yasmin has particularly struck a nerve with fans. The pair, who were seen getting cosy under the covers last week, seemed to be moving forward until Ben told the boys he was no longer interested. He later pulled Yasmin for a chat and bluntly said:
“I feel like we went from 0 to 100 real quick and I’m going to be taking a step back.”
Viewers branded his actions cruel and accused him of stringing Yasmin along.
The show’s producers have not yet issued an official response to the Ofcom complaints, but calls for stricter welfare measures and more intervention have been growing louder online.
This isn’t the first time Love Island has faced a backlash. In previous years, the show has been criticised over its duty of care to contestants and the impact of its high-pressure environment.
Whether producers will address the concerns this time remains to be seen, but fans will no doubt continue to keep a close eye on the behaviour inside the villa.
