ITV has condemned death threats sent to Love Island contestant Chloe Burrows, calling them 'wholly unacceptable'. The threats came after Burrows chose to recouple with Aaron Francis on Wednesday night's episode, leaving Shannon Singh single and resulting in her departure from the show.
In a statement on Instagram, Burrows's family described the trolling as 'absolutely disgusting'. They revealed they had woken up to a direct message encouraging Burrows to kill herself, among hundreds of similar messages. 'People are flooding her inbox threatening to kill her themselves,' they wrote, adding: 'This is a game show, there is a cash prize!'
The family acknowledged the 'frustration' over Singh's eviction but stressed that Burrows, from Bicester, Oxfordshire, 'does not deserve to die'. They referenced former contestants Sophie Gradon, Mike Thalassitis and ex-host Caroline Flack, all of whom died by suicide, although their deaths were not linked to the show or social media trolling.
ITV posted on Twitter: 'We want Love Island to be a positive experience for all of our cast and their friends and family members. Last night's episode created strong reactions but some viewers' posts were wholly unacceptable.' The broadcaster said it takes such matters 'extremely seriously' and will support cast members and their families in reporting posts.
Love Island returned on Monday after an 18-month break due to the pandemic. Ahead of the series, ITV published duty of care protocols including comprehensive psychological support, aftercare packages, therapy sessions, and training on handling social media negativity and financial management.
