2024-08-20 06:30:02
The “Love Island USA” social media accounts urged viewers to be kind to the contestants on social media ahead of Monday night’s reunion episode, capping off the show’s latest season, which has received record viewership—and also drawn criticism from both participants and viewers for online bullying of the islanders.
The “Love Island” social media accounts asked fans to be kind to the contestants ahead of the Monday … [+]
Ben Symons/Peacock via Getty ImagesThe “Love Island” social media accounts reminded viewers that although the reunion episode is “full of drama,” the contestants are real people, and urged fans to “keep it kind and positive.”
In the reunion episode, which was already filmed in New York and will not air live, the contestants discuss the events of the season several weeks after exiting the “Love Island” villa in Fiji, where the show filmed for a month.
Some contestants have been subject to online bullying after leaving the villa, which contestant Daniela Ortiz-Rivera said was a shock because “no one expected it to be this big,” referring to this season’s record viewership, which NBC said has doubled that of previous seasons.
Ortiz-Rivera posted a tearful message on TikTok stating it “breaks her heart” that contestants have faced online harassment, urging fans to be more kind because the islanders are “going through so much and everyone’s learning from their mistakes.”
Contestants including Andrea Carmona, who entered the villa on day six and rattled fans when she opted to couple up with a man who fans thought was already in a strong couple, have addressed the hate online, with Carmona stating on TikTok she can handle the rude comments but hopes fans wouldn’t speak to other contestants in a hateful manner.
Caine Bacon also posted an emotional apology video on TikTok after facing criticism and reportedly being cut from the reunion episode after he shared TikTok videos in which he appeared to mock the use of chopsticks and Korean words while at a Korean restaurant.
The “Love Island” reunion will begin streaming on Peacock on Monday night at 9 p.m. EDT. Most of the main cast, including host Ariana Madix, will be present. The reunion airs nearly one month after the winners, Kordell Beckham and Serena Page, were crowned on July 21.
On “Love Island,” single men and women, mostly in their 20s, spend the summer in a villa while cut off from the outside world and are made to date one another and “couple up.” Season six became a breakout season for the U.S. version, achieving the series’ best-ever streaming numbers. “Love Island” made its first appearance on the Nielsen weekly streaming charts, and was streamed for a combined billion minutes for the first time in a single week in July. The U.S. version premiered in 2019, several years after the original U.K. version became an international hit.
“Love Island U.K.” has previously courted controversy for online harassment and the mental health struggles faced by former contestants. The series faced heightened scrutiny after two former contestants and host Caroline Flack died by suicide between 2018 and 2020. A U.K. Parliament committee launched an inquiry into the ethics of reality television in 2019, citing the deaths linked to “Love Island,” and producers have since hired psychologists, offered training on social media and handling negative comments and provided contestants with therapy sessions after the show.
What time is the ‘Love Island USA’ Season 6 reunion? Cast, where to watch and stream (USA Today)
‘Love Island USA’ Heats Up With Season 6 As Streaming Viewership Doubles (Deadline)
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