Highlights:
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Faye Winter urged viewers to stop online abuse against the 2025 Love Island cast.
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The season received over 9,000 Ofcom complaints, mainly over bullying and misogyny allegations.
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Faye Winter previously faced 25,000 complaints in 2021.
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She spoke about the long-term mental health impact of reality TV.
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ITV has introduced stronger duty of care measures, but Faye Winter says audience behavior must change.
Former Love Island contestant Faye Winter has addressed the online abuse faced by the 2025 cast, calling for viewers to stop targeting the contestants. Her comments come after the 2025 season became the most complained-about in the show’s history, drawing over 9,000 complaints to Ofcom.
Faye Winter Defends 2025 Love Island Contestants
Faye Winter took to Instagram to condemn the “vile” messages aimed at this year’s finalists, Toni Laites and Cach Mercer, who won the £50,000 prize in the August 5 finale. She urged audiences to “give them a break” and reminded viewers that reality TV contestants are people, not fictional characters.
“These Islanders don’t know you, and you don’t know them,” Faye Winter wrote. “Before you post that nasty comment, ask yourself, will it actually make your life any better?”
The 2025 season faced intense criticism, with the majority of complaints relating to the alleged bullying of contestant Shakira and claims of misogynistic behavior by male Islanders, particularly Dejon and Harrison Solomon.
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Record Ofcom Complaints and Viewer Reactions
According to Ofcom, over 9,000 complaints were filed in July alone. Between July 22 and July 25, thousands of viewers contacted the regulator, including 2,272 in one night. Allegations of gender-based misconduct also surfaced, leading to more than 1,000 additional complaints in mid-July.
This year’s figures broke the previous record held by the 2021 season, when Faye Winter herself became the subject of 25,000 complaints following a heated exchange with fellow contestant Teddy Soares. While the incident generated widespread debate, Ofcom decided not to take regulatory action at the time.
Faye Winter on Double Standards in Reality TV
Reflecting on her own experience, Faye Winter criticized the double standards of viewers who expect drama on reality shows but condemn contestants when it happens.
“The performing monkeys you were entertained by are out of the circus now,” she wrote. “Let them rest… let them process the experience and do their eight seasons of therapy with someone who’s actually qualified.”
Her remarks highlight the ongoing tension between audience expectations and the real-world consequences faced by contestants.
Faye Winter’s Experience With Mental Health After Love Island
Since leaving the villa in 2021, Faye Winter has been open about the mental health challenges she faced. In an interview on the We Need To Talk podcast with Paul C. Brunson, she said she felt “worthless and alone” after the show and experienced suicidal thoughts.
“I remember feeling like all the pillars in my life were crumbling,” Faye Winter said. “I didn’t want to be in this house, I didn’t want to be around these people, I didn’t want to be doing this job.”
She echoed these comments during Fabulous Magazine’s Shamed YouTube series, admitting: “At one point, when I came out of Love Island, I thought I was the worst person in the world.”
Faye Winter Calls for Greater Audience Responsibility
While acknowledging the progress made by ITV, Faye Winter emphasized that protecting contestants also depends on audience behavior. She argued that viewers need to be mindful of the real people behind the television personas.
As Faye Winter’s comments underline, regulatory action and network policies can only go so far. Reducing the harm caused by trolling and online abuse will require a cultural shift in how audiences engage with reality TV participants.
