Love Island 2024 star responds to show's diversity criticism
Love Island 2024 star Mimii Ngulube has responded to criticisms over the show's lack of diversity.
The hit ITV reality show is set to return on June 3 with a fresh batch of singletons looking for love in the famous villa.
This year's line-up has been revealed, with many being unimpressed and urging show bosses to "do better" with only three of the 12 contestants being people of colour.
Before heading into the villa, contestant Mimii opened up on the backlash the show has received, claiming she thinks it is "less of an issue now."
Related: ITV confirms Love Island: All Stars will return in 2025
"Just because the recent years I feel like they've very much improved. Obviously [this year], I'm not too sure who's going in or anything like that, so I don't know if it's just going to be me or not. But I'm pretty sure it'll be fine," she told Radio Times.
"I don't feel any pressure or anything of that thought because the way I am will show, culturally anyway."
She went on to share her excitement to appear on the show, and the support her family have given her along the way.
It's not the first controversy the latest season has received, with contestant Harriett Blackmore at the centre of a video that has gone viral on social media.
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She is seen intervening during a dispute as a person filming tries to confront a man with his face covered.
Blackmore can be heard repeatedly saying he is a "Premier League footballer".
Addressing the video before the show's premiere, she said she hadn't seen the video due to being unable to access her phone.
"If you guys have seen it you can obviously see all I'm trying to do is diffuse the situation," she told media (via Radio Times).
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"It was actually one of my really good friends who is in the public eye, he's a football player. And these fans and, like, people were sort of antagonising him."
Harriet was also accused of having a secret boyfriend despite entering the show for singletons, with Love Island bosses stepping in to clear up rumours.
In response to the claims, ITV told The Mirror: "Harriett broke up with her partner of three years in January, and has been single since then. The pair have maintained contact but the relationship ended at the beginning of the year."
Love Island airs on ITV2 and streams on ITVX
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