Former Love Island star Yewande Biala has defended the show’s host, Laura Whitmore, after she was branded “boring” by past contestants.
The Wicklow presenter was accused by another ex-Islander, Rachel Finni, of only getting the job after Caroline’s Flack’s tragic death because she is married to the show’s narrator Iain Stirling.
And Amy Daly has also spoken out calling for Laura to be replaced.
Read more: Laura Whitmore hits back at claims she 'humiliated' Love Island contestant
But Yewande – who releases her first book, Reclaiming on July 14 – stuck up for Laura and how she was flying the flag for Ireland.
She added: “I think she’s great. I think no matter who it is, people aren’t going to be happy. I think she is doing a great job.
“It is great to see an Irish woman presenting.”
But Yewande said she wished more Irish people were on this year’s show – as only microbiologist Dubliner Dami Hope appears to be flying the flag for Ireland.
She said: “He’s just there for the holiday. He’s living his best life. It is great to see another Irish person on the show but yeah, he’s flying away with the fairies. He’s there for the free holiday. Enjoying the free food.
“It would be great to have more [(Irish] now. Maybe they could have one more bombshell and one more in Casa. It would be great. I think they defo will.”
Laura has hosted Love Island since January 2020 – when the first and as yet only winter edition of the show aired – taking the reins from the late Caroline who tragically took her own life aged 40 one month later.
Read more: Laura Whitmore hits back after former Love Island star's criticises presenter
But speaking in a recent podcast, Rachel Finni didn’t hold back.
She said: “I’m kind of gutted Laura Whitmore is hosting it though, I thought we’d get a nice Maya Jama or AJ Odudu.
“The benefits you get from being married to the narrator, ‘cause she’s not a great host.”
Amy agrees with Rachel, saying the reunion was “a bit dead.”
She said at the time: “I’m numb to it, I think it would be nice to have a presenter who throws herself into it and that whole interview that came out of Rachel hit loads of the press and it is true we are all a bit gutted.
“The reunion was a bit dead and boring. It’s not necessarily on Laura’s presenting skills, but more on the topics and subjects that she touched on.
“We wanted more spice and for her to get to the interesting stuff.”
Laura hit back after Rachel and Amy’s comments as she fielded questions from fans on her Instagram Stories before the new season aired.
“I’m not going to give too much energy to it because there’s always stuff like this and you kind of just brush it off but I think we need to be careful when we discuss women and their work.
“I’ve worked in telly for 14 years. I won a competition to be the face of MTV and have stayed working from job to job.
“I’ve done incredible things all over the world, I’ve worked with the best teams, but I’ve never got a job because of a guy I dated.”
She continued: “And it’s horrible when you see if coming from other women because for so many years women have talked about who they are going out with.
“They’re only defined by who they are going out with, despite all the work and build up leading up to that and they are their own individual person, with their own experience.”
She added: “It’s a shame because I think we’re never really going to have full power and empowerment as a sex if we keep doing that.”
Read more: Dubliner Dami praised as the 'agony uncle' of the Love Island villa
Read more: All the Irish Love Island contestants who did us proud over the years
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