Love Island could include LGBTQ+ people ‘if they really wanted to’, reality star says
Alex Dean appeared on the reality show Lovestruck High. (Credit: Instagram)
Love Island producers could include LGBTQ+ Islanders if they wanted, says Lovestruck High’s Alex Dean.
Whereas Love Island bosses have claimed it would “logistically difficult” to include gay Islanders, Amazon Prime’s Lovestruck High proved just how easy inclusion is by casting an even mix of queer and straight contestant.
The ITV2 show continues to garner criticism for its approach, with Lovestruck High’s Alex Dean joining critics.
In interview with the Daily Star, Dean said that while Love Island has “made its brand” through its current approach, he thinks Lovestruck High “has really shown that it can be done and if companies really wanted to, they could do that”.
While Dean said “it’s not [him] to say that they should”, he said his show had “proven it can be done”.
“We’re not the only ones that have done it as well, there’s another show earlier this year that had people with more representation from the LGBTQ+ community involved,” he said.
“Hopefully, it’s the start of something that’s more progressive for that environment moving forward.”
The cast of Lovestruck High was very diverse and represented LGBT+ contestants. (Credit: Mike Marsland/WireImage)
The Lovestruck High star has a connection to Love Island: he dated iconic series four contestant Samira Mighty for a while.
Love Island fans have long called for LGBTQ+ inclusion. But in 2021, ITV commissioner Amanda Stavri told RadioTimes: “In terms of gay Islanders, I think the main challenge is regarding the format of Love Island.
“There’s a sort of logistical difficulty because although Islanders don’t have to be 100 per cent straight, the format must sort of give [the] Islanders an equal choice when coupling up.”
Dean isn’t the only reality star to share his thoughts on this ethos.
Megan Barton Hanson, who appeared on Love Island’s fourth series, said: ““We definitely need a fully LGBTQ+ Love Island cast one day… we need to speed this s**t up.”
And she is not wrong. The call is coming from inside the house and Love Island producers need to pick up.
