Love Island evictee Joe Garratt’s friends have defended him against accusations of “gaslighting,” saying he “genuinely cares” for Lucie Donlan.
The sandwich man from south east London was ripped away from the surfer, who he has been coupled with since day dot, after viewers voted to boot him and Elma Pazar out of the villa.
Joe was accused of being controlling after he got increasingly jealous of her close friendship with Tommy Fury and told her to try and make friends with the girls.
In a statement on Instagram, Joe’s friends wrote: “Speaking on behalf of Joe’s best friends, we acknowledge Joe will come out to some warranted criticism. However, we deem the majority of it to be unfair and non-representative of Joe’s true character. The producers have the ability to show someone in a particular light, choosing just 45 mins of footage from 24 hours to tell a certain narrative.”
They went on to thank Joe’s followers for their “endless support” before wishing the remaining islanders “the best of luck… especially @lucierosedonlan who Joe genuinely cares for and enjoyed his time with.”
They finished: “Joe will know he is coming home to the best family and group of friends about. We are all buzzing to see our boy. But from #thesandwichman.... that’s a wrap.”
Lucie broke down in tears after Joe was given the boot in a savage twist which saw the public tasked with voting to remove one person from each couple after the islanders chose Lucie and Joe and Anton and Elma to face the chop.
“I’m gutted,” Lucie said on hearing the devastating news. “You could clearly see that me and Joe had feelings for each other.
“I don’t know what I’ll do without Joe. He’s literally been my rock in here.”
Holly Willoughby was among those who had criticised Joe's behaviour in the villa, saying there is “no way” he should be telling her who she can and can't be friends with.
“You can't decide who your girlfriend's friends are,” she said on This Morning. “If she doesn't want to hang out with the girls then fine. She is hanging out with girls as she’s very close to Maura, very close to Amber, so she has got girls there.
“I think this is more about his insecurities. I think it's just because it's Tommy about because [he and Lucie] had that kind of thing at the beginning."
Love Island is on ITV2, tonight at 9pm
