ITV bosses should consider postponing Love Island in the wake of the Jeremy Kyle suicide – powerful MPs declared tonight.
Top Tory Simon Hart, who sits on Parliament’s influential digital, culture, media and sport select committee, told The Sun that if the broadcaster was not “100 per cent” sure every participant was protected “they need to think very carefully about delaying”.
ITV
It comes ahead of next month’s hotly anticipated series of Love Island, which has hit controversy over the suicides of former contestants Mike Thalassitis and Sophie Gradon.
The committee has asked ITV chief executive Carolyn McCall to appear before MPs for its inquiry into reality TV following the death of Jeremy Kyle guest Steve Dymond last week.
Committee chairman Damian Collins said he wants to investigate whether Love Island is endangering participants.
It will probe whether there’s a systematic problem with reality TV.
Mr Hart told The Sun: “My view is that if I was responsible for Love Island I would be spending all my time double and triple checking that my ‘duty of care’ was in place.
“That means before, during and after. If they are not 100 per cent sure every participant is totally protected then they need to think very carefully about delaying.”
Mr Kyle’s long-running chat show was cancelled earlier this week after a guest died following his appearance on the programme.
Mr Dymond, 63, failed a lie detector test on the show and subsequently split from his girlfriend before a fatal drug overdose.
In the past year, two Love Island stars – Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis – took their own lives after struggling with fame.
The committee could recommend a legal crackdown on TV producers following the triple tragedy.
Collects
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