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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Dominique Hines

Love Island receives 2000 Ofcom complaints over Tasha Ghouri ‘bullying’

Love Island has been hit with a barrage of Ofcom complaints over the 'bullying' of contestant Tasha Ghouri.

More than 2000 viewers reached out to the regulator about the 23-year-old being targeted by her fellow contestants.

The bullying claims started on July 18 following a game of Suck and Blow, which saw two of the male islanders making digs at Tasha who ended up in tears.

This prompted 351 Ofcom complaints.

However, it was the following day after a Snog, Marry, Pie challenge that viewer anger came to a peak leading to 1,509 complaints.

A spokesperson for Ofcom said: "On July 19 the majority of complaints were about alleged misogynistic behaviour from the male islanders towards the female islanders, including in the aftermath of the Snog, Marry, Pie challenge.

Tasha Ghouri being the girl most pied in the face sparked the Ofcom complaints (itv)

"On July 18 the majority of complaints were about alleged misogynistic and bullying behaviour of contestants."

During the challenge, the model and dancer was targeted by her fellow male contestants, Dami Hope and Luca Bish who pied her in the face.

They then berated her as fake and a "game player".

Contestant Davide Sanclimenti also pied her in the challenge, but he explained it was because Ghouri previously called him and partner Ekin-Su the "fakest couple".

Tasha shared her distress over her male contestants behavious towards her with fellow contestant Paige Thorne (ITV)

During the Suck and Blow game the night before, the pair said they did not trust her motives with her Love Island partner Andrew Le Page.

They singled her out after she cried over being in the bottom three couples for the third time in a row and they also explained that they were unimpressed she had returned from Casa Amor with another man on her arms, Billy Brown, before rekindling her romance with Le Page.

While Luca and Dami later apologised to Tasha, who accepted their apologies, after the July 19 challenge, viewers were not as forgiving.

Since the Ofcom complaints, viewers have spared Ghouri from the bottom two in the last few votes (ITV)

One user wrote on Twitter: "Just a reminder you can complain to Ofcom about Luca’s disgusting behaviour x".

Another said: "Tasha looked so deflated at the end of that challenge. We’re all for expressing your opinion but feel like Dami and Luca are taking it too far now."

A third wrote: "Nah Luca and Dami deserve Ofcom complaints for their attitude to Tasha ew gtfo."

Luca Bish (L) and Dami Hope (R) have come under fire for the ‘bullying’ (ITV)

A public vote took place shortly after and while Dami was in the bottom two, Luca, 23, who is partnered with Michael Owen's daughter Gemma, 19, in the villa, was not.

Dami was eventually saved from getting the boot by his fellow housemates, including Tasha.

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