BACKLASH
Love Island hit by almost 800 Ofcom complaints in one month from furious fans complaining about bullying and age gaps
LOVE Island has been hit by almost 800 Ofcom complaints in just one month from furious fans complaining about the show's content.
Viewers have flooded the broadcasting watchdog with their worries following claims of bullying, as well as their concerns over the age-gap between some Islanders embarking on romances.
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Love Island has received a total of 781 complaints since the programme kicked off four weeks ago, on Monday, June 6.
A spokesperson for the broadcasting regulator told the that viewers were concerned about contestants' mental health.
"The main themes have been certain contestants being bullied," the insider said of the reasoning behind the complaints.
"Certain contestants' well being and mental health, the age gap between certain contestants and certain contestants being given more screen time in the main show edit than others."
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The first week of the show saw more than 200 people complained about the eight-year age gap between Gemma Owen and Davide Sanclimenti as they got to know one another.
The first 167 complaints came in after Gemma, 19, and Davide, 27, were spotted flirting together on the show.
While a further 93 were sent to Ofcom during the episode that aired on June 12, which showed the pair kissing.
Fans at home were left in shock that Davide had known about the large age gap for the whole time, and continued to make moves.
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"Davide asking if Gemma is worried about their age gap? Bro why are YOU not worried about it?" one fumed.
Another chimed in: "He just said the AGE GAP is not an issue? Wait there - just wait there," alongside a police car emoji.
Further complaints have come from viewers as claims of "bullying" swelled between the boys and girls last month.
Viewers of the ITV2 matchmaking show were left incensed over the male contestants' reactions after model Tasha Ghouri voiced how she felt everyone was siding against her.
Tasha has been paired up with Andrew, 27, since the series began yet broke down in tears ahead of the re-coupling last month.
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One Love Island fan took to Twitter to rage: "What’s up with the boys bullying the girls this year? Absolute b***h boys."
Another wrote: "The men on this f**king island have created such a b***hy, toxic, misogynistic environment where the girls can’t even look at another guy without them s**t shaming and bullying her.
"We’ve seen it with Ekin-Su and now we’re seeing it with Tasha."
Another agreed and put: "Stopping telling Tasha to not care about what others think - & start telling Luca & Dami to stop bullying her challenge."
One then mused: "I'm concerned for the mental health of all the islanders this year, it's toxic and they are all bullying each other…"
Elsewhere, fans also complained about how the girls were treating Ekin-Su, as they slammed the Islanders again for "bullying".
The Islanders clashed in a war of words after the girls accused the Turkish actress of "playing games" in the villa on June 22.
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Fans took to Twitter to complain about the scene, slamming Amber and the group of girls as "bullies" as they ganged up on Ekin-Su.
While Jacques O'Neill and Luca Bish have also been branded "bullies" over their treatment of certain girls, including Danica Taylor.
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