These are the shocking claims six ex-Love Islanders are making against producers

Adam Collard and Josh Denzel have spoken out


With over 1,000 Ofcom complaints for on-show bullying, manipulation and sexually aggressive behaviour already, this series of Love Island is on track to have the most complaints of any TV show in 2019 (potentially beating the 4,000 it in 2018). And, it looks like it’s not just the viewers that are complaining. Six ex-Love Islanders including Alex MillerMalin AnderssonJosh DenzelPaul KnopsCallum MacLeod and Adam Collard have recently accused Love Island bosses of making them feel depressed and like “performing monkeys”.

Psychologist Gladeana McMahon, who has worked on reality television for the past 20 years said that this micro-managing behaviour isn’t uncommon on reality TV programmes. She says it’s normal that when “the audience gets bored” the “producers have to up the ante each season”. So what do these mysterious puppeteers actually do that effects the contestants day-to-day on the show? These are some of the claims past Islanders have made against the producers:

They reshoot arguments to make them more dramatic 

According to Tyla Carr from Love Island 2016, contestants would often be asked to redo dramatic scenes. She said: “They tell you what they want you to  talk about, and who with. You have to tell the producers on site if you are planning to have an important chat or do something. Liv Attwood had to dump Sam Gowland twice last year, which was embarrassing for both of them.”

They make sure no one knows what the actual time is

Past Islanders have claimed every clock in the villa is wrong, meaning they have no clue what time it is. 

The producers have made sure there are cameras EVERYWHERE

According to Glamour, there were 72 in the villa last year, including ones in the bathrooms and showers for security reasons. Is there a way to just live stream Ovie?

The Islanders aren’t allowed any contact with the outside world

They’re given phones so that they can communicate with each other, receive texts from the producers and take selfies.

Producers monitor Islander’s conversations and tell them what to say

Laura Anderson, from Love Island 2017, alleged the producers would jump into conversations and encourage Islanders to be more dramatic. Laura said: “I’d say, I really don’t care. But then they’d be like, ‘Are you sure you don’t care? Because you said this and you looked like this’…”.

Past Islanders have said recouplings are announced without warning

Islanders from past series have claimed producers actually manipulate the recouplings to make the show more exciting. If views and engagement start dropping, a shock recoupling is a perfect thing to boost numbers again. Was Michael’s recoupling just a publicity stunt? Or is he still an arsehole?  

Love Islanders are given stereotypes by the producers

Malin said that it felt like they were “performing monkeys”. Both Megan Barton-Hansen and Adam Collard, from the 2017 series, say they were cast as “villains” from the outset. Adam also adds that producers purposefully “amplified parts of people’s personalities” and edited scenes to make him live up to this reputation. 

On entering the villa, Adam claims producers told him “you’ve got 48 hours [to get with another girl], otherwise you’re gone”.

“I cottoned on to the idea that if I didn’t go and hurt someone’s feelings, I was going to be out.”

The producers change the eviction process regularly

According to Glamour, the show doesn’t just begin in the morning and end in the night like a normal day. Instead, the producers can end a show whenever they like and although evictions look like they’re happening in the evening they can occur at 3am after the producers have had to time to tally up the public votes.

Swimwear is mandatory

Zara Holland accused Love Island of being “controlling” and like a “posh prison”, claiming that the girls are told they must wear bikinis or skimpy swimming costumes and have a full face of make-up on at all times.

Understandably this can cause a lot of stress for the Islanders. Malin Andersson, from Love Island 2016, said the show amplified the eating disorders she’s struggled with in the past. “I was minimising my food intake…Having a camera in your face and knowing that the whole world is seeing your body is intense.” And it looks like Malin wasn’t the only one, producers had to watch Amy eat after she lost six pounds in one week after breaking up with Curtis. 

Islanders are told off via a PA system

One time an ex-contestant went to have a nap upstairs and claimed that as they fell asleep a voice said: “Hello, we’re making a TV show, it’s not a holiday.”

The producers are always changing the Love Island “rules”

Alex Miller says he was personally subjected to Love Island’s brand of ever-changing rules. “They sort of handed all the power to one person, and that was it,” he says. “It was a kick in the teeth.” 

Related Love Island stories:

This is the official behaviour document Islanders have to sign

Love Island lockdown: This is what contestants go through before entering the villa

Amy left the villa for psychological therapy after being humiliated by Curtis