Following the heated brawl between the girls and males during Cinema Night, Love Island has received over 300 Ofcom complaints.
Shaq Muhammad made quite a commotion after seeing what happened between Tanya Manhenga and Martin Akinola, while Kai Fagan observed the moment former sweetheart Olivia Hawkins forget his name, despite being in a relationship with him.
Although Martin had everyone in stitches as he ate his popcorn as the mayhem played out in front of him, numerous viewers chastised the females for their ‘hypocritical and gaslighting’ behaviour.
‘Girls is not a bad thing to take accountability you know. I’ve never seen such a hypocritical group of women,’ one person seethed.
‘This is my least favourite group of girls in villa history I can’t lie,’ another added.
During last Thursday’s [February 23] show, 337 viewers contacted the television watchdog over the ‘toxic’ behaviour displayed by several of the females.
This comes after men’s domestic abuse charity Mankind Initiative shared via MailOnline: ‘Love Island has once again showed that when it comes to abusive behaviours against partners such as manipulation and gaslighting, it affects men as well as women as victims.’
In reaction to the accusations, An ITV spokeswoman told Metro.co.uk: ‘There is a care staff entirely dedicated to the Islanders both during the show and after and that all of the Islanders are thus properly supported by the specialists on site and by their friends in the Villa.
‘Additionally, ahead of entering the Villa, Islanders also receive guidance and training around mutually respectful behaviour in relationships.
‘Participants will be offered resource links to read up on, in advance of meeting their fellow Islanders, to help them identify negative behaviours in relationships and understand the behaviour patterns associated with controlling and coercive behaviour.’
Love Island returns tonight at 9pm on ITV2.
What is Ofcom and what does it cover?
Ofcom is the regulator for the communications services that we use and rely on each day.
The watchdog makes sure people get the best from their broadband, home phone and mobile services, as well as keeping an eye on TV and radio.
Ofcom deals with most content on television, radio and video-on-demand services, including the BBC. However, if your complaint is about something you saw or heard in a BBC programme, you may need to complain to the BBC first.
Its rules for television and radio programmes are set out in the Broadcasting Code.
The rules in the Broadcasting Code also apply to the BBC iPlayer.
This Broadcasting Code is the rule book that broadcasters have to follow and it covers a number of areas, including; protecting the under-18s, protecting audiences from harmful and/or offensive material and ensuring that news, in whatever form, is reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality.
Audiences can complain to Ofcom if they believe a breach of the Broadcasting Code has been made.
Every time Ofcom receives a complaint from a viewer or listener, they assess it to see if it needs further investigation.
If Ofcom decide to investigate, they will include the case in a list of new investigations, published in the Broadcast and On Demand Bulletin.
An investigation is a formal process which can take some time depending on the complexity of the issues involved.
Ofcom can also launch investigations in the absence of a complaint from a viewer or listener.