.@SharonNJGaffka appeared on the current series of #loveisland and spoke to @thisisinsider about her time on the show.
She said that "a lot of candid" conversations about race between the contestants weren’t aired.
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Love Island has sparked many discussions in previous years about diversity. On multiple occasions, diverse contestants were left single or overlooked.
Despite this, there has never been an explicit discussion about how race impacts dating on the show.
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Sharon told Insider she thinks an open conversation about problems faced in the dating world by women of different races would’ve been a positive addition to the show.
It would have been a chance to acknowledge that others have these same problems too.
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Sharon said she sometimes wondered "why was I brought in here? Who was I supposed to be? Or was I just somebody's space to fill?"
Someone claiming to be a friend of a potential contestant, stated none of the boys now in the villa “liked black girls.”
Since leaving the #LoveIsland villa, Sharon believes her race has continued to impact her, this time via internet trolls.
She said she received such a large amount of abusive messages because she is a mixed-race woman.
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Sharon also discussed the lack of body diversity in contestants in the villa. She was perceived as the “big girl” compared to other females on the show, despite only being a size 8.
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She puts it down to a “lack of education." A general survey of her trolls found most of them to be under the age of 19.
In this series alone, the families of Chloe, Toby, Faye, and Liam have all released statements asking fans to stop sending hate.
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Do you think #LoveIsland does enough to ensure diversity amongst contestants?
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Read the rest of the interview with @SharonNJGaffka on Insider.👇
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