Love Island contestants accused of racial bias by former contestant Marcel Somerville
'Black guy, black girl and mixed race guy all left unpicked. Mad!!!'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Former Love Island contestant Marcel Somerville has highlighted the alleged racial bias present in the ITV show.
During the first episode of the fifth season, new Islanders Yewande Biala, Sherif Lanre and Michael Griffiths were sidelined by their fellow contestants during the first coupling up of the series.
The couple selection process seemingly sparked "flashbacks" for Somerville from his own time in the competition in 2017, when none of the female contestants stepped forward to indicate that they were interested in him.
"This is mad!!!! #LoveIsland flashbacks! Black guy, black girl and mixed race guy all left unpicked. Mad!!!" the former member of Blazin' Squad tweeted.
Somerville's tweet has been liked 3,000 times, with several Love Island viewers making the same observation as the rapper.
"Another black Islander yet again, not being/wanting to be coupled up with," one person tweeted.
"Eurocentric standards of beauty seem to still play a role," another added.
Some Love Island fans have drawn parallels between scientist Yewande and former contestant Samira Mighty, who was in the last couple to pair up during the initial selection process on the fourth series of the reality television show.
"Soooo Yewande is receiving the same treatment as Samira, this is not okay," one person tweeted.
Prior to the start of this year's series of Love Island, fans of the show called on ITV to remove new contestant Anton Danyluk after a photograph of him wearing blackface makeup in 2013 was unearthed.
Somerville stressed the offensive nature of blackface on his Instagram story, explaining that it "invokes a racist and painful history".
To read all about the first 12 contestants on this year's series of Love Island, click through the gallery below.
For all the latest on Love Island, follow The Independent's live blog here.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments