Furious Love Island stars at war with ITV bosses over rule to protect them
LOVE Islanders have begged ITV bosses to do a U-turn on the channel's social media rule.
Since last year, friends and family have been banned from posting on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok while the show airs.
ITV said the ban was to "protect both the Islanders and their families from the adverse effects of social media".
However, stars of the most recent series have complained the rule is stopping them from growing their fan base online.
A showbiz insider told The Sun: "They're coming out the villa to barely any followers and they're super disappointed.
"Yes they're going on there to find love, not Instagram followers, but it is affecting their work opportunities on the outside.
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"There's already so many Islanders they have to compete with for jobs and now they're struggling to build a following after spending weeks in the villa.
"Some have complained about it to ITV and asked for the rule to be relaxed."
In the past, Islanders' teams used their accounts to encourage viewers to vote for them and build up their following.
However, they were often subject to vile abuse from trolls and there were even occasional spats between contestants' family and friends.
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Georgia Steel has spoken positively about the ban which was scrapped during her return to the villa in the All Stars series earlier this year.
Her family were sent death threats while she was in the villa after she caused controversy on-screen.
“Would you really say it to their face?", she asked.
"And would you be happy if the consequences were really bad?”
“It could just take that one comment that tips someone over the edge.”
A spokesperson from ITV said at the time: “We would always urge our viewers to be kind when engaging in social media conversations about our Islanders, and to remember that they are real people with feelings."
What are the duty of care measures?
AN ITV spokesman said:
"As part of extended measures to protect both the Islanders and their families from the adverse effects of social media, participants will be asked to pause handles and accounts on their social media platforms for the duration of their time on the show. Islanders’ accounts will remain dormant while they are in the Villa, so that nothing is published on their behalf.
"Participants will be offered resource links to read up on, in advance of meeting their fellow Islanders, to help them identify negative behaviours in relationships and understand the behaviour patterns associated with controlling and coercive behaviour.”