Love Island bosses have confirmed that Islanders in the 2022 series will receive inclusion training as part of measures to improve discussions and behaviour around disability, sexuality, race and ethnicity.
The video training and guidance will also cover behaviours and microaggressions, to be offered before the Islanders enter the Majorcan villa.
Extended duty of care protocols have also been put in place, with what the show calls “extensive welfare measures” remaining in place.
These measures promise to provide support to participants ahead of, during and after the filming of the series.
It comes after the show was struck with another huge change, with ITV dumping fast fashion retailers in exchange for a sponsorship with eBay – which will see contestants rock secondhand clothes throughout their time in the villa.
Inclusion training consists of conversations chaired by Black Collective of Media in Sport (BCOMS) founder Leon Mann MBE, along with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion consultant Hayley Bennett, disability specialist Shani Dhanda and broadcaster Sean Fletcher.
Other duty of care protocols include having registered mental health professionals engaged throughout the series and afterwards, psychological and medical assessments ahead of the show and medical history checks from each contestant’s GP.
As ever, cast members will be given “detailed explanations” of the implications taking part in the series could have, with it being reported in the past that Islanders were forced to sign contracts insisting “nobody may fancy you and you might not become famous”.
They’ll also be offered therapy sessions after the show, encouraged to secure management and get bespoke social media training.
Ade Rawcliffe, Group Director of Diversity and Inclusion at ITV, said of the new measures: “The world we live in is changing every day, and we want all of our Islanders to feel they are part of an inclusive environment in the Villa.
“As part of our duty of care process, it is also important we play our part in educating our participants to understand and empathise with different perspectives and lived experiences.”
As a result, a review was launched of the show’s protocols in 2018, with physician Dr Paul Litchfield taking the reins to independently evaluate the processes in place.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
