Helena Ford, a Love Island contestant from Devon, is facing criticism after some of her old tweets with offensive language were found online.
They lead to backlash from viewers and demands for her to be removed from the ITV2 reality show.
All I can hear are these f**g foreign d heads. The post triggered outrage among fans, with many tagging both Love Island and the UK’s media regulator Ofcom to demand action.
One tweet from 2014 attributed to the now 29-year-old read
Comments under the post included remarks like “Get her gone lads” and “Count ur days in that villa babe x.”
Some viewers went as far as urging producers to remove Helena from the villa immediately.
Also Read: Kyle Ashman Dumped From ‘Love Island UK’ Before Entering The Villa & Ahead Of Season 12 Premiere
Along with the racist remark, other old tweets from Helena’s past have also caused concern. In one, she used offensive language to describe her mother, saying she told her boss she was “taking my dog for a walk,” later clarifying she was actually talking about her mum.
Nah, mum’s cooking steak, is this a joke? Are you a s**g? Why would she do this to me?
Another tweet said
These tweets are not reflective of the language Helena would use as a 30-year-old woman and she would acknowledge she has done a lot of growing up since what she very naively posted over eight years ago.
A source close to Helena told Devon Live that the posts don’t represent who she is now.
ITV responded to the backlash by pointing out the measures in place to prepare Islanders before entering the villa. In a statement to The Tab, the network stressed its detailed training programme covering race, ethnicity, microaggressions, and proper behaviour. ITV also stated that it conducts thorough background checks on contestants to maintain accountability.
Source: Tribune