‘I’m a small person’: Laura Whitmore claims she ‘wasn’t allowed’ to ask Love Island contestants if they were okay as former host snaps farewell photo at show producers
Whitmore confirmed her departure from the ITV2 rating juggernaut in August after a brief stint of two and a half years as host
The presenter is now preparing to fill the wondrous shoes of Lily Allen in a new series of West End play 2.22: A Ghost Story
But she says she is still affected by the restrictions placed on her by Love Island bosses during her time on the show
Whitmore claims she was not allowed to monitor participants’ mental health and felt powerless to express an opinion
<!–
<!–
<!– <!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
Laura Whitmore has aimed a parting shot at her former ITV paymasters by claiming she was prevented from checking on the welfare of Love Island contestants during her time on the show.
Whitmore confirmed her departure from the ITV2 ratings juggernaut in August after a brief stint of two and a half years as host, during which the show suffered inevitable production setbacks due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The presenter, 37, is now preparing to fill Lily Allen’s shoes in a new series of West End play 2.22: A Ghost Story, but says she is still affected by the restrictions imposed on her by Love Island bosses .
Speaking: Laura Whitmore has fired a farewell shot to ITV by claiming she was prevented from checking on the welfare of Love Island contestants during her time on the show
Speak with The Sunday TimesWhitmore claims she wasn’t allowed to monitor the mental health of contestants in the show’s secluded Spanish villa and felt powerless to voice an opinion on anything she found unacceptable.
She said, ‘I hate having something I’m not allowed to say. I couldn’t ask Love Islanders if they were okay.
Whitmore’s comments follow further criticism of the dating show, which has been dogged by accusations of misogyny, harassment and allegations of an ethnic imbalance that favors straight white contestants.
Everywhere: Whitmore confirmed her departure from the ITV2 rating juggernaut in August after a brief stint of two and a half years as host
She added: ‘It’s hard. Your face is the front of the show, but I’m a small person and don’t have a producing role, so I couldn’t say if I didn’t think something was right.
“If your child is watching, maybe you should watch and have a conversation with him. A friend watched with her daughter and told her it’s not okay to say certain things.
“I question things a lot, even if I don’t do it publicly, people would rather I didn’t. It’s hard to do that when you’re working on the show.”
Dream job: Despite her doubts, Whitmore insists she loved her time as a Love Island presenter, a job she won in difficult circumstances after regular presenter Caroline Flack stepped down
Tragic: Flack, who served as Love Island host from the 2015-2019 relaunch, then took her own life in February 2020, raising further questions about the show
Despite her doubts, Whitmore insists she loved her time as a Love Island presenter, a job she won in difficult circumstances after long-term presenter Caroline Flack resigned in December 2019 pending trial for an alleged domestic assault against boyfriend Lewis. Burton.
Flack, who served as Love Island host from the 2015 to 2019 relaunch, then took her own life in February 2020, raising further questions about the show and calls for its cancellation.
“I will always be grateful for how much support Caroline has given me,” added Whitmore. “The first year I did the show, I survived the trauma of losing someone and holding it together and doing a live show.
“That first series was one of the hardest things, a lot of it was surviving.”
Exciting: Whitmore (far left) is now preparing to fill Lily Allen’s shoes in a new series of West End play 2.22: A Ghost Story
Whitmore has previously admitted that she didn’t like not being able to “talk about certain things” during the show’s presentation.
She said The evening standard: ‘Love Island is a show that I like to watch, and I always want to work on shows that I like. But I can’t do more with it. There are parameters.
“When you’re working on the show, you can’t really talk about certain things. But I’m really proud of what I’ve done, and proud to leave with what I think has been a brilliant series, with great winners.”
MailOnline has reached out to a Love Island representative for further comment.