Laura Whitmore has been burning bridges all over ITV as she leaves her job as presenter of Love Island, slamming producers on her way out the door.
Last week, she claimed she wasn’t allowed to check in on the wellbeing of contestants on the dating show or speak up if she thought something was wrong.
It’s left viewers calling the star “bitter” and wondering if she’s about to get her husband Iain Stirling – who does the voiceover – kicked out, too.
“I hate having anything I’m not allowed to say. I couldn’t ask Love Islanders if they were OK,” said Laura, 37, who was brought in to host the reality series in 2020, to replace original host Caroline Flack, who was suspended in 2019, and then tragically died the following February.
“It is hard. Your face is the front of the show, but I am one tiny person and have no producing role, so I couldn’t say if I didn’t think something was OK… I question things a lot – even if I don’t do it publicly, people would rather I didn’t. It’s difficult doing that when you work on the show.”
Her comments followed another interview where she hinted, “When you work on the show, you can’t really talk about certain things.”
Love Island has previously been accused of letting its contestants down, after former islanders Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis both died by suicide. ITV has since brought on mental health professionals, with every islander put through a psychological and medical evaluation.
The network also released a “duty of care” protocol ahead of the last series, which promised “comprehensive psychological support” before, during, and after the show, as well as training for participants on the impact of fame and social media.
Although Laura’s comments were welcomed by some, others felt she was being unfair, with one commenting on Twitter, “She sounds bitter.” Another added, “Sacked then?” While a third wrote, “Trying to spin and manage her image with these fake poor me stories. The woman wasn’t good at her job and she was let go, that’s the truth of the matter.”
It’s potentially quite an awkward situation for Iain, especially as – after his wife’s latest comments – viewers asked, “Is her husband leaving, too?” With another adding, “I doubt her husband will stay now and is waiting to jack [it in] just before the next season.”
Let’s hope not – we love his velvety voice!