After being called off last year due to the pandemic and travel restrictions, it’s been confirmed that hit ITV reality show Love Island is back – meaning viewers will get their fix of love-hungry singletons trying to find The One under the sun.
But while fans have loved watching the Islanders date, make up and break up in past series, recently there have been repeated calls for more diversity – with criticism that cosmetically-enhanced appearances create unrealistic body ideals.
This year, insiders say ITV producers have listened and are looking to shake things up. There are also reports that producers are insisting on COVID safety measures and increased checks on mental health following the tragic deaths of two former contestants, Sophie Gradon in 2018, and Mike Thalassitis in 2019.
The show is infamous for its typically attractive, young and slim contestants, while many have had fillers, Botox or cosmetic surgery. And following the show, stars often have more work done, with cosmetic practices offering them free procedures in return for promoting their treatments to their online followers.
But encouragingly, in recent months, some former Love Island stars – including Maura Higgins and Molly-Mae Hague – have embraced more natural looks, hoping they’ll encourage fans to follow their examples.
And Malin Andersson – who went under the knife after she left the show in 2016 – says she’s hoping for big changes this year.
Malin had a Brazilian bum lift, a boob uplift and lip fillers within six months of her exit. But realising she was no happier following her surgery – and after getting pregnant with her daughter, Consy, who was born prematurely and tragically died at just four weeks – Malin has made it her mission to champion a natural look.
Malin, 28, tells Closer, “I came out of the villa really insecure about how I looked – emotionally, I was a mess. Fame and trolls made my insecurities come to the surface. I hated how I looked so I had work done, but it didn’t make me happier and then it just clicked for me – what sort of message was I putting out to younger girls? Now, I show how I look to my followers unedited, unfiltered and without fillers or surgery and I can honestly say I’m more comfortable in myself now. Embrace what you’ve got!
“Hats off to people like Molly and Maura with what they’ve done – they’re influencing in the correct way. It’ll do so much good for their followers to see that.
“It will be great if Love Island does put more natural Islanders into the villa, with more diverse body shapes. That’s exactly what we need to see – it’s damaging to see unrealistic bodies and these plumped-up, wrinkle-free faces. It can create a cycle of insecurities, eating disorders and body image issues. I hope this year’s cast is the most natural line-up ever – but I’ll believe it when I see it.”
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In 2019, the Love Island producers vowed to make psychological screenings more in-depth at castings and also to improve mental health aftercare once contestants had the left show, after series three star Mike Thalassitis became the second ex-Islander to die by suicide. Series two star Sophie Gradon took her own life the year before.
And Malin believes tougher mental health checks are necessary. She says, “They need to dig deep. I was put on the show even though I was clearly battling an eating disorder, which flared up even more once I’d left. They need rigorous checks and people should only be cast if they are psychologically strong enough to take the heat that comes after.
“After the year we’ve had, with the COVID pandemic, what we look for in influencers/role models has changed. It’s not just all about people who look good. Flirting, dating and arguing are all shallow – the show will need some updating.”
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