Davina McCall says she contacted ITV about 'midlife' Love Island
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Love Island fans have expressed disappointment with the show’s new arrival, Sami Elishi, with many complaining she looks no different to other housemates. ITV viewers have appealed to the show’s bosses to make some changes and include a more diverse line-up.
As she made her dramatic entrance on Sunday, fans were quick to point out producers have stuck to a ‘type’ and are getting exasperated with the tired formula when it comes to casting for the show.
One Love Island fan wrote: “Diversity is seriously needed in this villa, the same looking people with the same type of guy or girl they always go after. It’s getting stale and predictable.”
A second chimed: “Are there no Asians in the UK? Producers think diversity is sending in a brunette instead of a blonde.”
While a third questioned: “Where’s the diversity this year?”
The viewers’ disappointment comes as the series continues to be blasted for its lack of diversity and racial bias.
Fans noted the original lineup featured only three black or mixed-race entrants and no other ethnic minority was represented.
They also noted there were no plus-size contestants and almost everyone chosen to enter the villa had almost identical body shapes.
Fans pointed out there was nobody from the south east Asian community represented, and flocked to Twitter before the show aired to voice their concern.
On seeing the original line-up earlier this month one Love Island viewer wrote: “The starting lineup is always so bland. It’s just the same type of people as the seasons before.”
While another moaned: “It would be nice to see some more Asians, maybe some ginger/light brown white girls, curvier women, perhaps me with different body types.”
Former Love Island residents have also blasted the producers for their lack of diversity and spoken out at what they have perceived as racism and tokenism.
Season seven resident Sharon Gaffka felt that her place on the show was a form of tokenism.
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Speaking to Secure the Insecure podcast in January last year, she said of her time on the show: “I feel like Asian women were taken as a token or a tick box in this series.
“I felt like I was scapegoated for a tick box 95 percent of the time I was in the villa.”
She also revealed other Islanders who she shared the villa with, including Shannon Singh, Priya Gopaldas, and AJ Bunker were not given an equal chance on the show.
Sharon felt this was the reason they all had early exits.
Season five Love Islander Yewende Biala claimed she was met with a series of racial microaggressions during her time in the villa with fellow housemate Amy Hart backing up her claims.
Speaking on a panel at The Cambridge Union, Amy revealed she and others from the series were aware of tension in the villa.
According to The Mirror, Amy said: “At the time we knew it wasn’t right. We talked about it privately when we went out for dinner and stuff but it was never our story to tell.”
She continued: “So when Yewende spoke out about it, that was when we were like, ‘We’ve been waiting for this one.”
Love Island airs weeknights on ITV2 at 9pm
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