Official TV watchdog Ofcom has received more than 500 complaints about Love Island, many about the same incidents. Most of the complaints are from viewers upset at how islanders Ron Hall and Tom Clare have been treated by co-stars.
524 viewers complained to the watchdog about the ITV2 dating show last week, 300 of them about alleged "bullying" of Ron by his castmates. A spokesperson for Ofcom said this week that 302 complaints made following last Sunday and Monday's episodes "related to the alleged bullying of Ron by other contestants.
They also confirmed that an additional 71 complaints following last Thursday's episode (March 2) related "to the treatment of Tom by other contestants," reports the Star.
Fans defended Ron during Monday's episode as he clashed with islanders following his remarks about contestants having a game plan in the villa. Ron had previously told fellow islanders how winning Love Island couples get their relationship drama out of the way early on in the series before getting through to the final.
Ron said: "When I was a viewer… I thought, the ones who have their drama nice and early and then get comfy and treat it like a holiday, they’re the ones who are probably like, they just cruise.”
But islanders like Samie Elishi told people in the villa that it must mean Ron was playing a game, prompting him to confront her in Monday's episode.
On Monday a "livid" Ron told Samie: "You can't be seeding my girlfriend's head that I am playing some sort of game."
Fans took to Twitter to complain, with some revealing that they were going to complain to Ofcom.
Tom clashed with the boys during the sports day challenge on Thursday, and after constant attempts from boys like Shaq to 'poke the bear', Tom told them they'd gone too far.
He said: "They need to know when enough is enough sometimes."
Ofcom said 99 complaints made after last Wednesday's episode "related to the programme makers giving Olivia and Maxwell the power to vote off another couple", and 47 related to Olivia's behaviour.
Liv and Maxwell were dumped from the island on Wednesday but were tasked with choosing one other couple home; they chose Claudia & Keanan.
