Love Island’s Billy slams Luca for ‘bullying’ Tasha and Josh says bosses should have stopped it before Ofcom complaints
LOVE Island’s Billy has slammed Luca and Dami for “bullying” Tasha – and his co-star Josh insists producers should have stopped it.
Ofcom was bombarded with complaints over alleged misogynistic behaviour on Movie Night and a game of Snog, Marry, Avoid in which Tasha was targeted.
In an explosive interview with Johnny Seifert on the Secure the Insecure podcast Billy and Josh slammed the boys for how they treated Tasha.
Billy said: “I can see why people were saying about the bullying, I understand.
“Some people in the villa – yeah, they might be fed up or annoyed at something – but acting like that…especially to girls.
“Like with Tasha, don’t go and keep sort of hating on that girl constantly because for me to see that, it’s not nice.
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“I don’t like anyone feeling out of place or like they can’t go and speak to someone or feel alone. Like Luca and Dami, for instance, they’re just constantly going for Tasha, going for Tasha.
“They’re seeing they might see as banter, but for me, when I spoke to Tasha, one night she was crying.
“I wasn’t too concerned with what happened between me and her. I could be annoyed, but I bat that to the side and asked ‘how are you like, how are you actually doing?’
“She was like, ‘no, I’m fed up, everyone’s just going at me going at me. And I’m trying to do a bit what’s best for me, and no one’s understanding.
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“And for me to hear that wasn’t nice because everyone should feel understood or like someone’s there. But then if it’s just constant, negative stuff thrown at her, I didn’t see it to be fair.”
Agreeing with Billy, Josh said: “I feel like that it’s the kind of situation where a producer could easily step in and be like, ‘listen, you know, this is how it’s coming across or how you’ll be seen on the outside?’
“But they step in when they want to step in, and they will sit back and happily let something come across a certain way.
“I feel like some people get carried away and it would be nice and easy for the producers to just step in and be like, ‘oh, listen you wouldn’t do this on the outside’ or ‘this is how it’s coming across’, rather than just waiting and stepping in later on.
Producers could have stepped in and tried to stop it.
Josh
“I feel that a lot of them won’t understand how much is getting shown or how it’s been getting betrayed on the other side because obviously in their they tell you ‘you’re doing great guys, you’re doing great’.
“So if they aren’t getting told, you know, ‘this is what it’s looking like, and you should understand that certain things you say are going to come across a certain way’.
“They should be focusing on mental health and they should be seeing what’s happening.
“It could have got stopped a while ago, because you don’t know how they’re gonna act or how it’s going to affect them when they come out and see comments, or they know it wasn’t that particular way. But it’s been shown that way.
“So I feel like the producers could have stepped in and tried to stop it before it got to that point.”
Love Island was hit with 3,617 Ofcom complaints in just one week.
As explosive Movie Night scenes played out, 2,481 viewers inundated the broadcasting regulator after being left outraged by ‘bullying’ on screen.
Ofcom confirmed the complaints related to alleged misogynistic behaviour by some of the male contestants.
A further 427 complaints were made about AfterSun as Laura Whitmore was accused of s***-shaming Ekin-su, as well as about the treatment of Jacques.
The dating show updated its “duty of care” to “support participants before, during and after filming” following the tragic deaths of Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis who took their own lives.
Everyone cast on the show went through strict psychological and medical assessments to make sure they could handle it.
They were also be talked through the impact taking part in the show will have on their lives – both the good and the bad.
Contestants will be given training on social media and how to handle trolls.
They will also be taught how to manage their finances and given advice on taking on management after the show.
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The Islanders will have to take part in at least eight therapy sessions to help them adjust to life back home.
The production team will also stay in touch with them for 14 months to offer any “additional help” needed.