Love Island has received almost 1,000 complaints, with the majority related to "alleged bullying" towards contestant Scott van-der-Sluis by other islanders during a movie night, according to broadcasting watchdog Ofcom. The episode, which aired on July 9, featured the contestants watching video clips of various incidents that occurred when the couples were separated between the main villa and Casa Amor.
Scott, a 22-year-old footballer from north Wales, became the center of attention after his partner Catherine Agbaje decided to recouple with Elom Ahlijah-Wilson following her time in the second villa. In a clip shown during the episode, Scott expressed that he was missing Catherine after she left for Casa Amor but suggested that he wouldn't feel the same once new female contestants arrived at the villa.
Catherine responded to the clip by stating, "It's because he didn't get the girls – that's clearly what it was." Fellow islander Kady McDermott joined in, adding, "Apparently, none of the girls wanted you. That's why." Scott defended himself, saying, "It wasn't that though. It's not a matter of none of the girls wanting me because I didn't do anything about it."
Later in the evening, Scott watched a clip of Catherine getting close with Elom while the other girls encouraged her to pursue the connection. The female islanders were seen cheering Catherine on as they watched a video of her kissing Elom. This prompted a reaction from the male islanders, with Mitchel asking, "Laughing at my boy's downfall?" and Sammy adding, "Imagine that was the other way round."
Scott responded calmly, stating, "I don't have an issue with what's just gone on." However, when Leah mentioned that Catherine was happy with Elom, Scott remarked, "You're the spokesperson suddenly. You haven't spoken for about four weeks." This comment shocked the female islanders, with Kady labeling it as "rude".
Love Island has implemented duty of care policies, including video training and guidance on topics such as "mutually respectful behavior in relationships," to ensure the well-being of the contestants. These measures were introduced after the previous summer series received thousands of complaints to Ofcom regarding alleged misogynistic and bullying behavior by some islanders. However, those complaints were not upheld.
In addition to the complaints related to alleged bullying, Love Island also received 92 complaints regarding Molly Marsh being reintroduced to Casa Amor after previously being eliminated from the program. This brings the total number of complaints to 466. ITV has been contacted for comment on the matter.
