It was revealed that Love Island contestant Jacques O'Neill quit the show today and fans of the ITV2 show are concerned that he might face backlash on social media when he returns home to the UK.
The rugby player was trying to make up with Paige Thorne, who he was coupled with before and after Casa Amor, but the relationship was strained after his antics with Cheyanne were brought to light, writes The Mirror. His actions in Casa Amor made him a villain in the eyes of viewers and his initial treatment of Paige and Cheyanne saw many take to Twitter to accuse him of bullying.
After the arrival of bombshell Adam Collard into the villa, Jacques took offence as he immediately made a beeline for Paige. And today it was revealed that Jacques has left the show.
A Love Island spokesperson said: "Jacques has made the decision to leave the Villa. He will explain his reasons to the Islanders during tonight’s episode. We fully support his decision and look forward to seeing what’s next for Jacques."
Fans are fearful of the trolling that Jacques might experience now that he is jetting back to the UK.
Taking to Twitter, one wrote: "I was a fan of jacques, he f***ed up don’t we all. The amount of abuse from trolls on here and other platforms is so shameful and disgusting. Thought by now we should of learnt what online trolls can do to someone… especially with this show history.. #LoveIsland"
Another worried fan added: "Please can we look after Jacques once he’s out of the villa. He clearly knows he’s messed up and is beating himself up for it already. Don’t make it worse by being an absolute keyboard warrior and just a plain hater. #loveisland"
A third queried the decision to bring Adam back to the villa as a bombshell, after he appeared in season eight and was accused of "gaslighting" due to his treatment of Rosie Williams in the 2018 series.
After his behaviour in Casa Amor, Jacques' family took to social media to explain he had ADHD.
"Jacques was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 9 years old," his sister shared, "By no means is this a get out clause for his actions but it is to show that he can fundamentally struggle with his emotions at times.
"He is an amazing person who I'm proud to call my friend/little brother. All the hate thrown towards Jacques doesn't go to him directly ... It comes to his loved ones who have always supported him and not just whilst he is on Love Island.
"Love Island, although real. Is still a show where the producers do have control and we see 45 minutes out of the 1440 in 24hours."
Before the series started, ITV confirmed their Duty of Care protocols for the show.
This stated that the islanders would receive a number of aftercare elements, which included;
- Bespoke training on dealing with social media and advice on finance and adjusting to life back home.
- A minimum of eight therapy sessions will be offered to each Islander when they return home.
- Proactive contact with Islanders for a period of 14 months after the series in which they have appeared has ended, with additional help provided where applicable.
- We encourage Islanders to secure management to represent them after the show and manage them should they choose to take part in other TV shows, advertising campaigns or other public appearance opportunities.
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