‘Love Island’ Will Ban Contestants From Social Media in Upcoming Season

Love Island is asking contestants to abandon their beloved social media accounts if they want to star on the hit show. After announcing a new host, the series is revealing some more big changes this season, mandating contestants pause all posts during their time on the show after previously allowing them to post through friends, family or reps, per Deadline. 

Deadline reports that Love Island is mandating “contestants to pause all activity on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and nothing will be published on their behalf.” The outlet also notes that previously, Islanders’ accounts have been run by “friends, relatives or PR professionals during their time in the villa, in order to drum up support and build up their brand.”

But all of that is changing this season, and Deadline hints that the social media shift could have been triggered by the “thousands of complaints” the show received in the past year, including allegations of  “alleged misogynistic and bullying behavior” toward female contestants.

Psychologist Dr. Matthew Gould, who consults on Love Island, called the social media ban in Season 9 a “bold decision” and a “testament to ITV’s serious intent, especially as this input provides both a benefit to the appeal of the program and a potential source of mental health problems,” per Deadline.

Gould also shared that Love Island will be introducing “enhanced safeguards” to protect contestants’ mental health. Before joining the show, Islanders will be “receiving guidance and training around mutually respectful behavior in relationships” and will be provided with resources about red flags in relationships and dangerous or damaging behavior.

While Love Island has emerged as a hit in recent years, and even inspired a U.S. spinoff, the show has also had a troubling past. Two previous contestants have committed suicide in the past five years: Sophie Gradon in 2018, and Mike Thalassitis in 2019.

When the show returns this winter, Maya Jama will join as host, taking over for Laura Whitmore, who previously filled in for the late Caroline Flack.