The regulator’s report showed a rise in complaints about the show.
Ofcom received more than 1,000 complaints last week about “misogynistic” and “bullying” behaviour by Love Island contestants.
According to the regulator’s weekly audience report, over half of the complaints focused on last Friday’s episode (18 July), during which Harrison Solomon, 22, and Lauren Wood, 26, exited the Mallorcan villa together.
Harrison had formed a bond with American contestant Toni Laites before developing feelings for Lauren in Casa Amor. Without Toni knowing, Harrison slept with Lauren twice, then got back together with Toni without telling either of them what had happened.
That same week, Women’s Aid issued a statement criticising the show for “reinforcing culture trivialising violence against women and girls”.
In the report, it was noted that 280 complaints about the 18 July episode were related to “alleged misogynistic behaviour by Harrison, Harry and Dejon”, while 247 complaints concerned “alleged bullying behaviour and expressed concern for the mental wellbeing of Shakira”.
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On 20 July, Ofcom stated that the “majority of complaints related to alleged misogynistic behaviour by Dejon.” Earlier in the week, on 15 July, the regulator received 107 complaints concerning “alleged misogynistic behaviour by Harrison,” 44 complaints regarding “how Lauren was portrayed in the edit of the episode,” and 34 complaints about “alleged bullying behaviour toward Shakira and Toni.”
The episode aired on Thursday (17 July) brought in another 69 complaints about “alleged misogynistic behaviour by Harrison” and 27 complaints relating to “alleged bullying behaviour and expressed concern for the mental wellbeing of Shakira.”
Speaking to MailOnline after leaving the show, Harrison said,
I pride myself on standing up for women and being a protector. I have seen the backlash and it’s hard to digest. I would disagree with a lot of it in terms of my respect for women, I do respect women.
He addressed the criticism from Women’s Aid specifically:
The worst has been from Women’s Aid. I know myself and the girls on the show too. Toni said she knows I’m not a bad person, just went about situations in the wrong way, but the Women’s Aid statement wasn’t nice… It’s not nice coming out of the villa to my mum upset by that, so I would say that’s been the hardest.
Harrison also expressed regret for his actions on the show. Apologising to the “women I’ve hurt,” he said, “I got it wrong and the back and forth between the two connections caused more harm than I ever intended. It wasn’t ever an ego thing. I am not proud of how I handled things, and I’m not going to make excuses.”
I just want to own it. If people can give me the space to grow from it, I will do everything I can to be better, and that’s the only thing I can do. There is no handbook for how to be on a show like Love Island. It’s instincts and intentions. I got some of it right, but I know I got a lot of it wrong, and I know that now.
He added,
Source: The Independent