Love Island has been on screens since 2015 but the end could be near following the social media ban implemented during the winter series.
The hit ITV2 dating programme returned on January 16 for its ninth series, however, with a difference.
In previous seasons, popular contestants gained huge social media followings from their families running their accounts while they were taking part in the show.
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Some of these contestants have gone on to land six-figure clothing deals and other lucrative careers in the spotlight.
But for the first time in the show’s history, the stars of the current series weren’t allowed to have active social media profiles while they were inside the villa.
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
The decision came about to “protect both the Islanders and their families from the adverse effects of social media” but as a result, this year’s islanders have left the villa with significantly less followers on social media.
Clothing brand Pretty Little Thing, who signed Molly-Mae Hague in 2019 and Gemma Owen last year, revealed they will not be collaborating with any islander from the winter series.
(Image: ITV)
An insider has now claimed that this will put people off from signing up to the show as they will miss out on opportunities and money deals.
“There are fewer applicants for Love Island this summer,” a source told Daily Mail. “The ban has exposed what we all know: that the show is all about landing lucrative deals, not finding love.”
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
This year’s winners Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan had 173,000 and 153,000 Instagram followers the day after they left the villa, meanwhile Gemma gained 920,000 while her family ran her Instagram account whilst she was in the villa.
In a Love Island first, none of the islanders from the current series have returned with more than one million Instagram followers.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
