ITV, Lifted Entertainment (part of ITV Studios) and Motion Content Group have announced new duty of care procedures ahead of their tenth series, due to begin on ITV2 and ITVX this summer.
The show is expected to return to screens for eight weeks, with a new batch of wannabe celeb contestants on June 5, and the new measures follow growing criticism of the stress placed on contestants on by their sudden newfound celebrity, in particular relating to the adverse effects of social media.
Programme contributors for the forthcoming season will be offered a full package of measures to ensure they remain supported prior to, during and after the filming period on the show.
After an initial trial period, the show will now formally introduce a guideline asking participants to pause social media handles and accounts for the duration of their time on the show, to ensure that both the Islanders and their families are protected from the adverse effects of social media – just this week 2022 contestant Mollie Salmon has been opening up to the red tops about the abuse she suffered online after having cosmetic surgery in Turkey at the beginning of May.
The Love Island Duty of Care policies and procedures are reviewed after each series and reflect feedback from former Islanders. Series 5 Islander Amy Hart commented on her experience with with social media: “I didn’t really take into account when I went into the villa that although my best friend was really excited to run my social media account, it was me that signed up to do the show, not my family and not my friends. But it was them that had to read the death threats and it was them that had to read the horrible messages. Whereas when I came out, I came out to a great reaction because of the way that I left, and they were the ones who had a hard time when I was in there.”
Series 8 finalist Tasha Ghouri added: “I think this is great and needs to be done. I believe it’s 100 per cent the right step in the right direction, I could see there was a lot less trolling and negativity.”
All Islanders will complete video training and guidance across a range of topics to include mutually respectful behaviour in relationships, behaviour patterns associated with controlling and coercive behaviour and language around disability, sexuality, race and ethnicity, and microaggressions before they meet their fellow Islanders.
The inclusion training consists of conversations chaired by BCOMS (Black Collective of Media in Sport) founder Leon Mann MBE with DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) consultant Hayley Bennett, disability specialist Shani Dhanda and broadcaster Sean Fletcher. First introduced ahead of Series 8 in 2022, these discussions will tackle topics including inclusive language and behaviour, creating safe spaces and being a good ally.
Prior to appearing on the show, prospective Islanders will also watch a video fronted by the show’s executive producer and head of welfare, interviewing former Islanders about their experiences on the show. This includes details on the two week period before they enter the villa, how to cope being filmed 24/7, the interaction they will have with producers in the villa, the support provided to family members, dealing with social media trolling, and adapting to life away from the show.
Series 7 winner Liam Reardon said: “I found the welfare chats helpful as it gave us a chance to have a small break from villa life and being able to talk to someone off camera. It was nice to speak to someone every few days who wasn’t in the villa and who were there to just listen or offer advice. The psychiatrists were a big help too for when times got a little hard.”
Hart added: “The Welfare team were really supportive after I left. I also had a lot of therapy with the Therapist I had in the villa, so it was lovely to have that continuation of care, and ITV were really supportive of that.”
Workplace health and safety expert and advisor to the show Dr Paul Litchfield said: “The measures put in place to safeguard the health and wellbeing of Islanders continue to evolve in the light of experience and advances in best practice. Love Island is seen by many as the benchmark for the genre and its rigorous, evidence-based approach has helped to raise standards across the industry.”
His fellow advisor, clinical psychologist Dr Matthew Gould, added: “Maintaining on-going creativity combined with enhanced duty of care is the difficult equation to balance, and significant strides have been made in this respect. It is important not to stifle the spark and spontaneity that Islanders uniquely bring to the format. A determined focus on building the psychological evidence-base will help to maintain this balance.”
Both Drs will continue to independently review and continually evolve the duty of care measures ITV has in place and work alongside programme makers. The pair bring extensive experience in the area of mental health.
A full overview of the welfare service offered to Islanders includes:
- Comprehensive psychological support
- Training for all Islanders on the impacts of social media and handling potential negativity
- Training for all Islanders on financial management
- Detailed conversations with Islanders regarding the impact of participation on the show
- A proactive aftercare package which extends support to all Islanders following their participation on the show
- Guidance and advice on taking on management after the show
These protocols continue to be evaluated and reviewed ahead of each series, evolving in line with the popularity of the series and the increasing level of attention around the Islanders.
