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Celebrity

20th Jul 2022

Ofcom received over 3,000 Love Island complaints this week

Sarah McKenna Barry

The past few days have seen thousands of complaints made against the TV show.

The UK’s communications regulator Ofcom has received 3,617 complaints so far this week in relation to ITV 2’s dating reality show Love Island.

As Metro reports, 167 viewers complained about Friday night’s episode, while 2,481 viewers contacted Ofcom in relation to Sunday’s episode, which saw the fallout of Mad Movies. Additionally, 427 people complained about the companion show, After Sun. Monday night saw 413 complaints about the show.

While Ofcom don’t disclose exactly what the complaints are in relation to, many fans have been vocal about the treatment of some of the contestants on the show.

The past few days have seen many call out Dami and Luca’s treatment of Tasha Ghouri, with many claiming that the pair have been bullying her. Numerous viewers have also accused After Sun of holding Ekin-Su to a misogynistic double-standard for sharing a bed with George in Casa Amor.

Earlier this week, the domestic violence charity Women’s Aid said that they are now working in conjunction with the TV show after viewers brought their attention to a number of concerns.

In a statement, they said: “At Women’s Aid we are being tagged into a stream of Twitter posts, with viewers of Love Island highlighting the misogyny and controlling behaviour being shown on screen.

“This is clearly more than talking about any individual contestants, and a programme based around the formation of romantic relationships must have guidelines on what behaviour is acceptable and unacceptable in those relationships.

“We are talking to ITV, and they have shared with us information on their inclusion training, but what appears to be missing is specific information on abusive relationships and an understanding of controlling behaviour in relationships.”

Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on Virgin Media Two and on the Virgin Media Player.