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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Zoe Delaney

Channel 4 to expose Love Island secrets with explosive docu-series starring ex-Islanders

Love Island may be back on our screens sooner than we think (kind of).

It's been reported that Channel 4 are set to air an explosive new docu-series centered around the ITV2 dating show later this year, with former contestants contributing to the programme and dishing some dirt on the at-times controversial reality TV show.

The upcoming documentary is allegedly titled, Reality Check: Life After The Limelight, and will see those who have enjoyed a stint in the iconic Spanish villa reveal not only what goes on behind the scenes on the show, but what happens when work dries up once they return to 'normal' life after their series airs.

The news comes just weeks after Love Island host Laura Whitmore sensationally quit the series after almost three-years fronting the show, and subsequently went on to claim she wasn’t allowed to check on the wellbeing of contestants during her visits to the villa.

The ITV2 show is currently without a host following Laura Whitmore's shock resignation (REX/Shutterstock)

Speaking to The Sunday Times shortly after her shock exit, the mum-of-one said: "I hate having anything I'm not allowed to say. I couldn't ask Love Islanders if they were okay.

"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 okay."

The star - who took over the presenting role from the late Caroline Flack in January 2020 - added: "If your child is watching, maybe you should watch it with them and have a conversation. A friend watched with her daughter and told her that it is not okay to say certain things.

Love Island secured record ratings throughout its latest series earlier this year (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

"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."

According to The Sun, no names have been confirmed for the rumoured documentary series just yet and casting is apparently still underway. The Mirror has approached Channel 4 for comment.

Love Island has caused controversary at times over recent years, and the show has also seen a number of names connected to the ITV2 series take their own lives - including presenter Caroline Flack who passed away in February 2020.

Ekin-su and Davide won the latest series of the ITV2 show last month (REX/Shutterstock)

Former contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis also lost their lives to suicide shortly after they appeared on the popular dating show.

The tragic deaths sparked a conversation about reality TV in general and calls for TV bosses - and the viewing public - to do more to care for stars who appear on shows such as Love Island and The Only Way is Essex.

Speaking to the Mirror Online last month, Vicky Pattison - who rose to fame on MTV's Geordie Shore - explained how she feels that although TV networks should - and already do - step things up when it comes to their duty of care for reality TV stars, social media is "where people are being let down".

"I didn’t watch Love Island this year - I’ve been really busy - but I caught up with some of it online and the comment section made me angry," Vicky told us when discussing her career and the pitfalls of reality TV.

"It made me incredibly upset that we’ve lost so many bright, beautiful and incredibly young individuals through the pressures they face - and the incredible trauma - they received online and people are STILL not learning the gravity of their words."

Vicky added how she acknowledges she is a "product of reality TV and I’ll constantly be grateful" to the genre for creating the platform she currently enjoys, but "given the tragedy that we’ve seen within that space, there definitely needs to be a more elevated duty of care".

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