Love Island slammed for under casting ONE black contestant in All Stars

Love Island has been accused of failing to symbolize range on the All Star sequence after just one black contestant featured within the lineup.

Former Islander Rachel Finni, 32, advised MailOnline she felt ‘outraged’ over the way in which her shut good friend Kaz Kamwi was handled all through her time on the ITV2 present.

Kaz, 29, was dumped this week after she struggled to discover a romantic connection, which Rachel says is as a result of producers refused to solid any ex-stars of the present who could be open to pursuing her.

The mother-to-be has hit out at bosses for giving viewers the ‘platform to comply with the assumption’ that solely ‘blonde hair’ and ‘blue eyes’ are ‘enticing’ – slightly than inviting Yewande Biala, Priscella Anyabu or Summer Botwe again onto the programme.

And Rachel, who’s eight months pregnant, says it is not simply the shortage of black Islanders that’s problematic but in addition having no Asian illustration akin to influencers Sharon Gaffka or Kaz Crossley. 

Speaking solely, Rachel stated: ‘I’ll all the time stand by what is correct and along with that, Kaz is certainly one of my closest associates.

‘Just solid Islanders that discover a vary of individuals enticing. Don’t simply put somebody in there that claims their kind is tall darkish and good-looking as a result of that limits it.

‘The present ends in two weeks and up till now there was lots of blonde haired, blue eye Islanders in distinction to anything. There is not any illustration in any way. 

‘I do know Sophie [Piper] and Toby [Aromolaran] are blended in fact however there are nonetheless folks that do not seem like Sophie and Toby that are not going to narrate to them as a result of they’ve a portion of the identical blood line. 

‘I do know just a few folks that I’d take into account black All Star Islanders that weren’t even approached and a few that have been turned down. There are folks to select from however they’re simply not on the present.

‘What about Yewande [Biala]? And Samira [Mighty]? And Cynthia [Taiwo]? There’s Summer [Botwe], Deji [Adeniyi], Jordan [Odofin], I can identify all of those Islanders off the tip of my tongue, you are telling me not one, not a single one?

‘There are folks from South Africa in there however what about Priscilla [Anyabu]? What about Leanne [Amaning]?

‘You are a TV present that categorises what most people finds enticing, in case you’re representing folks in a sure manner or not representing them in any respect, you are giving viewers the platform to comply with these beliefs and make folks really feel they don’t seem to be enticing.’

Kaz discovered fame on Love Island in 2021 and was one of many unique All Star signings when the sequence launched earlier this 12 months.

So far she has been the one black contestant to function however she flew dwelling from South Africa this week after failing to seek out love and dropping her place within the competitors.

She had a tough time within the villa after her ex-boyfriend Tyler Cruickshank made a shock entrance and he or she was solely ever associates with the lads she coupled up with. 

Rachel says watching Kaz not be thought-about by any of the present’s bombshells made her emotional and he or she believes producers, who’re chargeable for the wellbeing of the solid, let her good friend down by not giving her a ‘truthful likelihood’ to fulfill somebody.

She stated: ‘It hurts a lot extra seeing your good friend undergo it.

‘I’ve seen males fall to their toes for that girl. She is gorgeous and he or she could be very desired.

‘There was nobody in there that finds a lady like Kaz enticing… whether or not they’re blue, inexperienced, yellow or black.

‘They did not put somebody in there for her, they put in her ex who could be a speaking level, they have been damaged up, they weren’t on good phrases, they have been by no means going to couple up or get again collectively. They did not give her a good likelihood.

‘The misunderstanding folks get is while you discuss on range that you simply’re anticipating a black man to go in there for a black woman. But that is not the case since you’re interested in what you are interested in.

‘We have spoken since she left the villa and I advised her “Kaz, I’m ready to fight someone for you, pregnant or not.” I advised her she’s a great particular person as a result of I used to be outraged.’ 

Rachel says producers ought to have completed extra to symbolize Asian communities in addition to completely different physique varieties on the All Stars sequence, which is at the moment airing on ITV2.

The season, introduced by Love Island host Maya Jama, additionally does not have any contestants with disabilities, like Tasha Ghouri, the present’s first deaf Islander, and Ron Hall, who’s partially sighted.

She added: ‘They must cease the tokenism as a result of there’s no one within the villa with a incapacity and nobody from another backgrounds, like south Asian, east Asian, that is not represented both like Kaz Crossley, Priya Gopaldas and Sharon Gaffka… 

‘It’s only one physique kind on this present too… the one physique numerous Islanders I can consider are Tyne-Lexy and Anna Vakili. Two folks in 10 years…’ 

On Friday evening’s episode, a brand new male bombshell entered the villa, Adam Maxted, who first starred on the present again in 2016.

Adam’s look comes after former Islander Theo Campbell took to social media platform X to say he was axed from becoming a member of All Stars on the final minute.

Alongside a photograph of Kaz, Theo stated: ‘Imagine losing 5 days of your life after being persuaded to start out Love Island filming and the remainder, for them to say a day earlier than you are presupposed to fly out, nah are available in two weeks… huh? No thanks.’

Sources near the courting present have insisted that Love Island does symbolize range and this has been confirmed lately.

In 2023, Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan turned the primary non-white contestants to win the £50,000 prize in the course of the winter sequence whereas Whitney Adebayo and Lochan Nowacki have been finalists in the summertime instalment.

After coming off the present, Whitney praised Love Island, saying the sequence has reinvented itself and it was ‘straightforward to overlook’ she was a black girl ‘as a result of there have been so many people.’

She added: ‘At one level, we dominated. I’ve watched so many Love Island and I’ve by no means seen this many colored folks, there have been so many bonnets and durags.

‘Everyone got here from tough cultures, and everybody was receptive to studying. The white folks have been doing the Azonto. It was such an amazing numerous solid. They’ve positively bought a brand new blueprint.’

Couple Indiyah Polack and Dami Hope have additionally lauded the present for making strides in the direction of range and inclusion.

In June, Dami stated: ‘Tonight is likely to be the evening I tune into Love Island trigger this illustration and variety off the bat is loopy.’  

Indiyah has additionally gone on to host Love Island spinoff present Aftersun alongside Maya and Sam Thompson, in addition to this season’s podcast. 

MailOnline has contacted ITV for remark.