Criminals and abusers attempted to nab a place on Love Island with show bosses weeding out offenders during extensive background checks

By Rebecca Lawrence For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Convicted criminals were caught trying to land a place on Winter Love Island after show bosses implemented the government’s Disclosure & Barring Service in their background checks. 

All potential contestants go through a rigorous screening service before they are accepted for the show, including STD tests and criminal background checks. 

Show bosses also inspect the Islanders’ social media for any troubling material and put in place physical and mental health assessments for the Islanders. 

Applications for this year’s series – which finished on Monday when Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan were crowned the winners – saw multiple past offenders attempt to star on the show. 

A source told The Sun: ‘We’ve never had a #MeToo horror pop up because we won’t move forward with a potential contestant if we find something unsettling about their history along those lines.’

Banned: Convicted criminals were caught trying to land a place on Winter Love Island after show bosses implemented the government's Disclosure & Barring Service in their background checks (pictured: Love Island host Maya Jama)

Banned: Convicted criminals were caught trying to land a place on Winter Love Island after show bosses implemented the government’s Disclosure & Barring Service in their background checks (pictured: Love Island host Maya Jama) 

The insider continued: ‘We have ramped up all the checks even more as part of the promise to do more to protect our Islanders.

‘It also sets a clear standard that certain behaviours will not be accepted or ignored if they happen.’

ITV have been contacted for comment. 

Prior to the winter series launch, ITV shared their comprehensive package of welfare measures for programme contributors to ensure stars are fully supported before, during and after the filming period.

As part of extended measures to protect both the Islanders and their families from ‘the adverse effects of social media’, participants were asked to pause handles and accounts on their social media platforms for the duration of their time on the show.

Additionally, ahead of entering the Villa, Islanders received guidance and training around mutually respectful behaviour in relationships.

Participants were offered resource links to ‘read up on, in advance of meeting their fellow Islanders, to help them identify negative behaviours in relationships and understand the behaviour patterns associated with controlling and coercive behaviour’.

ITV added that stars continued to be offered video training and guidance covering inclusive language around disability, sexuality, race and ethnicity, and microaggressions.

The change in guidelines came after Love Island received more than 5,000 Ofcom complaints during last year’s series, with viewers sharing their concerns about ‘misogynistic behaviour and bullying’. 

Shocking: Applications for this year's series - which finished on Monday when Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan were crowned the winners - saw multiple past offenders attempt to apply

Shocking: Applications for this year’s series – which finished on Monday when Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan were crowned the winners – saw multiple past offenders attempt to apply

Love Island duty of care protocols in full – ahead of 2023 series

The full duty of care process is outlined below:

Pre Filming and Filming

– Registered mental health professional engaged throughout the whole series – from pre-filming to aftercare.

– Thorough pre-filming psychological and medical assessments including assessments by an independent doctor, psychological consultant and reports from each Islander’s own GP to check medical history.

– Potential Islanders are required to fully disclose in confidence any medical history that would be relevant to their inclusion in the Villa and the production’s ability to provide a suitable environment for them.

– Managing cast expectations: detailed explanations both verbally and in writing of the implications, both positive and negative, of taking part in the series are given to potential cast members throughout the casting process and reinforced within the contract so it is clear.

– Cast are told they should consider all the potential implications of taking part in the show and work through this decision-making process in consultation with their family and those closest to them, to ensure they feel it is right for them.

– Senior Team on the ground have received training in Mental Health First Aid.

– A welfare team solely dedicated to the Islanders both during the show and after.

Aftercare

– Bespoke training on dealing with social media and advice on finance and adjusting to life back home.

– A minimum of eight therapy sessions will be offered to each Islander when they return home.

– Proactive contact with Islanders for a period of 14 months after the series in which they have appeared has ended, with additional help provided where applicable.

– We encourage Islanders to secure management to represent them after the show and manage them should they choose to take part in other TV shows, advertising campaigns or other public appearance opportunities.

 The Winter Love Island stars are expected to feel a massive impact on their outreach after bosses put on a social media ban on thecast’s families representing them while they are in the villa.

Many no doubt hope to go on to forge lucrative careers as influencers and gain clothing brands, and they will have to work fast to try to build their online following once they are given back their phones.

Only 1.1 million people tuned in to see Kai and Sanam crowned the winners of Love Island this series.

This was the lowest for a final of the show since series two of the show, and a huge drop from last year’s 3 million.

Love Island was also beaten on the night by The Last Of Us final on Sky Atlantic at 1.2 million.

Low ratings: Only 1.1 million people tuned in to see Kai and Sanam crowned the winners of Love Island this series

Low ratings: Only 1.1 million people tuned in to see Kai and Sanam crowned the winners of Love Island this series

Despite the low viewership it was revealed that Kai and Sanam won by a landslide, receiving a whopping 44 percent of the votes.

Ron Hall and Lana Jenkins came in at 30 percent of the votes, while Samie Elishi and Tom Clare got 24 percent.

Tanya Manhenga and Shaq Muhammad only scored 2 per cent of the final vote.

The winter series of Love Island pulled in around 1.2 million for the series opener, another drop from last year, which garnered 2.4 million.



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