A model who claims he was approached to appear on 'Love Island' says the show is "brutal".
Jordan Grace
Jordan Grace, who is also a DJ, claims the ITV2 show has become "darker" since the first series after show bosses opted to introduce some of the Islanders' exes, and that has made him "even more happy" that he rebuffed producers' advances.
He told the Guardian newspaper: "The first few seasons were reality TV but now they manipulate it more and it has become darker as they introduce people's exes. It's brutal.
"It's got worse and worse."
Jordan admits he is "self-conscious enough" so decided against appearing on 'Love Island', during which time people could've written about him on social media without him knowing what was being said.
He said: "I couldn't have gone on it, knowing the nation is posting stuff on social media about me, and not have any contact with the outside world.
"I'm self-conscious enough."
Harry Sellers, a fitness trainer at Barry's Bootcamp, also claims he was approached about going on 'Love Island' this year, but he turned down the opportunity because he didn't want to spend the rest of his life "promoting tooth-whitening products".
He said: "My modelling agency said it could be good - but it might all go very badly and potentially ruin my career.
"I don't want to be that guy who goes on Love Island and promotes tooth-whitening products and does club appearances for the rest of my life."
But Richard Cowles, ITV's creative producer, believes the show is "refreshing" in that it features "extremely attractive" contestants who all "share all the same insecurities and issues as we mere mortals do".
He said: "We wanted to have a villa that would be their ultimate place to visit and a cast of people that represented our audience, but was also an aspirational version of them.
"Clearly the contestants are extremely attractive - they have to be for the format to work - but we're not saying the whole world looks like that. It is an aspirational show. We're not trying to pretend this is reality. This is a sort of hyperreal world.
"Normal life doesn't always look like this, nor should it. But what is refreshing, and engaging, is that these sorts of hot people share all the same insecurities and issues as we mere mortals do.
"The truth about love and emotions is that there's always a risk, even if you're drop-dead gorgeous - that someone hotter, funnier or more engaging might walk in and upset things."
More than 104,000 people applied to be on 'Love Island' this year.
BANG Showbiz have contacted ITV for further comment.