Bristol charity Women's Aid has issued a warning to ITV as former Islander Adam Collard returns to Love Island. It was announced at the end of Sunday's episode (July 10) by narrator Iain Sterling that the series four contestant would be returning to the villa, four years after he first stepped foot in it.
Broadcaster ITV has been criticised by some viewers for bringing Adam, 26 back on the show because, when he was on it back in 2018, many condemned his treatment of fellow contestant, Rosie Williams. At the time of his original appearance, Women's Aid warned that there were 'clear warning signs in Adam's behaviour' of 'emotional abuse'.
Teresa Parker, head of communications and media relations at Women's Aid, told the Metro in a new statement: "In the 2018 series of Love Island, we saw Rosie rightly call out Adam for his unacceptable behaviour, which included gaslighting and emotional abuse. We hope that ITV recognise how serious this issue is and that it must be learned from, considering they have asked Adam to return to the show.
"Love Island is watched by many young people and we know what a huge influence it has. Producers must make sure there is support for contestants throughout, and intervene if relationships become unhealthy or abusive."
Amid the criticism that Adam was receiving, his family members defended him when he was on Love Island in 2018. They wrote on social media at the time: "Say what you will, this is a reality game show!"
Originally from Newcastle, Adam earns a living by working as a personal trainer, charging £700 for 20 one-on-one training sessions, also as the gym director at Aurora Athletic. Adam's initial appearance on the show when he was 22 saw him couple up with four different women in just two weeks.
The Geordie arrived as part of a twist which allowed him to steal another boy's girlfriend. Initially, Adam coupled up with Kendall Rae-Knight for a week, before ditching her for Rosie Williams.
Rosie was Adam's girlfriend until day 20, which is when bombshell Zara McDermott joined the show. Adam and Zara were an item until being unexpectedly split when Zara was removed from the show, with Adam then getting to know Darylle Sargeant when the Casa Amor twist came along.
Despite Zara being dumped from Love Island and Adam cosying up to Darylle, the Geordie Islander made the decision to make things work with Zara in the outside world once his time in the villa was up. The pair dated for eight months until February 2019, with Zara telling fans at the time of their break up: "I am heartbroken to announce that Adam and I have parted ways.
"I love him very much and will always have a special place in my heart for him and our time spent together. I have tried so hard to be the best person I can possibly be and to make it work. Sometimes in life, you just aren’t enough for someone; no matter what you do for them or how much you try to be."
Ahead of his bombshell return, Adam promised viewers: "I'm going to ruffle a few feathers when I go in."
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