Future of ITV’s Love Island in doubt following thousands of complaints that female contestants are regularly ‘slut-shamed and manipulated’

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Tomorrow, the lives of two aspiring reality TV stars are set to be transformed as the public chooses the winners of Love Island, who will receive a £50,000 prize. And it’s possible that even greater wealth awaits them upon their return to the UK.

But the future of ITV’s flagship dating show may not be so rosy.

According to The Mail on Sunday’s disclosure, the broadcaster is planning a review of the show this month. Some inside sources predict that the winter series and the All Stars edition could potentially be canceled or significantly changed.

This season of Love Island has left viewers shocked due to the alleged abusive conduct among the contestants towards each other. The incident sparked around 9,000 complaints to Ofcom within a single week, causing the media regulatory body to initiate an inquiry into the matter.

Women’s Aid also voiced their criticism by releasing a statement that described the program as an environment where women are frequently deceived, judged harshly for past sexual activity, and subjected to manipulation.

One source commented: ‘ITV finds itself in a challenging situation as such behavior draws massive viewership, making it the most viewed program since summer 2022, averaging approximately 2.4 million viewers.’

ITV should avoid appearing to endorse the values exhibited by certain contestants, as things are becoming overly excessive.

A concern brought up by the source is ‘too much content’, as ratings have decreased since the debut of the winter season in 2020, followed by the All Stars event the previous year.

At its peak in 2019, it attracted 6million viewers a night, falling by a million a year later.

As a devoted fan, I must admit that following the debut of the All Stars series in 2024 left me quite disheartened, as its viewership dropped to an unprecedented low of one million viewers – a stark contrast compared to previous launches.

The source mentioned: ‘Our strategy is to emulate the U.S. model by producing one season annually, while focusing on a rigorous selection process for contestants, improving overall quality, and exerting greater control. This shift may result in the cancellation of the winter series and All Stars events.’

The vast majority of complaints centered around the perceived ‘bullying’ towards Shakira Khan, who is 22 years old. One viewer expressed their concern by stating: ‘This isn’t about entertainment, it’s more about emotional disregard.’

Jessye Werner from Women’s Aid suggested that it’s essential to enhance education about sexism and misogyny among the contestants, and she commended the viewers for pointing out such behaviors when they occur.

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2025-08-03 03:19