‘Love Island’ contestants will have to pass new mental health and STI tests to be accepted on this year’s series.
Ahead of appearing on the ITV2 show this summer, the stars are expected to undergo "several rounds of medical tests", including some for sexual transmitted infections, and they will reportedly attend "advance sessions with counsellors and psychologists" to ensure they can handle the upcoming fame.
A source said: "Bosses want stars to be safe mentally and physically. Their biggest nightmare would be someone contracting an STI, so potential contestants must have several rounds of medical tests.
"Advance sessions with counsellors and psychologists have been ramped up to ensure that everyone can handle the fame."
Show bosses are said to be prepared to axe potential contestants if they show "any hint of mental instability".
The source added to The Sun newspaper: "They are prepared to cut potentially strong personalities from the line-up if there is any hint of mental instability."
In March, Richard Cowles, creative director of ITV Studios, admitted contestants on the ITV2 dating show will receive more support and ITV will be "proactively checking in" with former ‘Love Island’ stars "on a regular basis".
He wrote: "When something so awful happens we naturally enter a period of soul searching and ask whether anything could have been done. This review has led us to extend our support processes to offer therapy to all Islanders and not only those that reach out to us. And we will be delivering bespoke training to all future Islanders to include social media and financial management. The key focus will be for us to no longer be reliant on the Islanders asking us for support but for us to proactively check in with them on a regular basis … We work with an independent GP and a psychological consultant to provide an assessment of the physical and mental health of each of the shortlisted cast members and their suitability for inclusion."
While Richard made the announcement just days after former ‘Love Island’ contestant Mike Thalassitis was found dead aged 26, ITV’s chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall later insisted it would be "extremely tenuous" to link the show to his passing.
She said: "I don’t think anybody has made a direct link between what happened to Mike and ‘Love Island’ and that is very important to say.
"It would be an extremely tenuous thing to do given he was very happy on ‘Love Island’ and all of his mates have actually said that, and he has done two other reality TV shows in the two-year gap.
"We can do everything we possibly can to look after people and to do our duty of care but you can’t do that forever with an individual.
"There has got to be a framework and it will come to an end. It can’t be indefinite."
What’s more, former ‘Love Island’ star Sophie Gradon died by suicide in 2018 aged 32.
Love Island contestants ‘will have to pass new mental health tests’
