Love Island Faces Renewed Criticism as Former All Stars Contestants Anton Danyluk and Luis Morrison Question ITV’s Duty of Care

Despite ITV’s repeated efforts to strengthen and update its duty of care policies following a series of heartbreaking tragedies involving former contestants, Love Island is once again facing intense scrutiny. In the upcoming documentary The Curse of Love Island, former Islanders Anton Danyluk and Luis Morrison—both of whom returned for Love Island: All Stars in 2024—have spoken candidly about what they describe as inadequate mental health support from the broadcaster, insisting that their second experience on the show was significantly more difficult than the first.

Both Anton Danyluk and Luis Morrison, now 31, first rose to prominence during the show’s earlier years before deciding to return to the franchise. However, despite ITV’s assurances that contestant welfare has improved, the pair claim little has changed behind the scenes. For Luis, the situation deteriorated rapidly after he was eliminated just eight days into All Stars. Once a fan favorite who reached the final of the inaugural 2015 series alongside Cally Jane Beech, he instead found himself at the center of public backlash following a heated confrontation with fellow Islander Mitchel Taylor and renewed attention surrounding allegations about his responsibilities as a father.

As abusive messages and death threats flooded his social media accounts, Luis turned to ITV for psychological support. Although he acknowledged that therapy sessions were made available, he ultimately sought professional help elsewhere because he felt the assistance provided by the network was insufficient. Having long projected the image of an emotionally resilient man, Luis admitted that the aftermath of the show left him deeply shaken.

“When I left the villa, my social media and the press were completely different from what I experienced in series one. For months on end, I received death threats and horrible messages constantly. I was in a really, really dark place,” he recalled.

Luis’s experience was echoed by Anton Danyluk, the Scottish personal trainer who first appeared on Love Island Season 5 in 2019, the same year ITV formally introduced its duty of care program. According to Anton, All Stars felt far more heavily produced, with contestants deliberately placed in situations designed to create conflict at the expense of their mental well-being. He alleged that producers orchestrated confrontational scenarios that inevitably escalated into arguments, fueling online abuse once contestants returned to the outside world.

Reflecting on the years following his original appearance, Anton described the emotional toll of watching fame disappear almost as quickly as it arrived. While ITV initially maintained regular contact after the series ended, he said those welfare check-ins gradually faded as new seasons premiered. Feeling abandoned during one of the most vulnerable periods of his life only intensified his sense of worthlessness. His struggles eventually spiraled into alcohol abuse, drug use, and an unhealthy party lifestyle in Marbella, culminating in a suicide attempt. Returning for Love Island: All Stars had been his attempt to find closure, but instead it convinced him that he never wanted to participate in reality television again.

The deeply personal accounts shared by Anton and Luis have once again brought renewed attention to the tragedies that have shaped Love Island’s history. Former contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis died by suicide in 2018 and 2019 respectively, while longtime host Caroline Flack died in 2020. Their deaths prompted ITV to significantly overhaul its contestant welfare policies, but criticism surrounding the effectiveness of those measures has persisted.

In the documentary, former contestant Malin Andersson, who appeared alongside Sophie Gradon in Season 2, reflected on the immense financial pressure and self-comparison they experienced after leaving the villa. Malin claimed that contestants received virtually no psychological aftercare during that period and said ITV only reached out after Sophie’s death—a gesture she said left her feeling angry rather than reassured.

In response to the growing criticism, ITV rejected several of the allegations made in the documentary. The broadcaster stated that it does not recognize claims suggesting Sophie sought psychological support but was denied assistance, adding that those accounts do not match its records. ITV emphasized that its welfare procedures have evolved significantly over time, including behavior and language training, mandatory social media blackouts while contestants are in the villa, and proactive welfare support extending for 14 months after filming concludes. Nevertheless, the darker side of Love Island continues to spark widespread debate.

Before becoming one of the most outspoken critics of ITV’s welfare system, Anton Danyluk had already established himself within Scotland’s fitness industry. Born in 1994, he built a successful career as a personal trainer and gym owner before Love Island Season 5 transformed him into a social media personality with millions of followers. Although he did not win the competition, his humorous personality and genuine demeanor earned him widespread public affection.

With fame, however, came relentless scrutiny of his private life. Anton’s romantic relationship with fellow contestant Belle Hassan quickly became tabloid fodder. Although the pair left the villa together, their relationship ended just months later amid intense media attention and the challenges of maintaining a long-distance romance. Following their breakup, Anton continued to make headlines for rumored relationships, though none proved long-lasting.

His post-Love Island career was equally turbulent. Business ventures involving his gym and fitness coaching faced setbacks during the pandemic, while his increasingly extravagant lifestyle in Marbella took a heavy toll on both his finances and mental health. At one stage, Anton was also criticized online for controversial comments and cosmetic procedures that dramatically altered his appearance compared to his early television days.

After surviving his suicide attempt, Anton stepped away from the entertainment industry and returned to live with his family. He focused on sobriety, rebuilding his health, and restructuring his fitness business. He has since spoken publicly about his mental health journey, encouraging others to recognize the dangers of social media, celebrity culture, and the unrealistic expectations created by overnight fame. His decision to return for Love Island: All Stars was initially viewed as an opportunity to close a painful chapter, even if the outcome ultimately fell short of his hopes.

Luis Morrison’s life has likewise been marked by both success and controversy. Born in 1994, the former footballer played for several semi-professional clubs, including Stevenage and Concord Rangers, before his athletic build and television appeal led him to become one of the standout contestants on the inaugural season of Love Island in 2015.

During that first series, Luis and model Cally Jane Beech became one of the show’s most beloved couples, reaching the final together and continuing their relationship after filming. In 2017, they welcomed daughter Vienna, becoming the first Love Island couple to have a child together. Their relationship eventually unraveled amid public accusations of infidelity and mutual criticism, with their breakup playing out across social media and the British tabloids.

Luis later entered another relationship with Chloe Elizabeth, with whom he welcomed a son, Romeo, in 2021. That relationship also ended, and as Luis returned for Love Island: All Stars in 2024, Chloe publicly accused him of failing to pay thousands of pounds in child support and rarely seeing their young son. Those allegations significantly damaged his public image and intensified the backlash he received during the series.

Away from reality television, Luis also faced challenges in both business and his personal finances. After retiring from football, he pursued opportunities in property investment and brand partnerships but reportedly struggled with mounting financial difficulties. Combined with the public criticism surrounding his personal life, those pressures contributed to an extended period of emotional hardship.

Today, both Anton Danyluk and Luis Morrison say they are focused on rebuilding their lives after the emotional aftermath of Love Island: All Stars. Through The Curse of Love Island, their stories serve not only as a candid reflection on the hidden cost of overnight fame but also as a broader conversation about the responsibility television networks have to protect reality stars from the lasting psychological impact of public scrutiny in the digital age.