A Love Island source has denied the latest “fix” claims levelled against the show, amid reports that Haris Namani has been eliminated from the series.
Earlier this week, Haris was at the centre of controversy when The Sun published footage – reportedly recorded in May 2022 – of the Islander punching another man in the street, knocking him to the ground.
Following this, unconfirmed reports in the press claimed that the 21-year-old had become the second of this year’s Love Island contestants to leave the villa, following the first public vote.
ITV has refused to comment on whether Haris has left the show, although Tuesday night’s instalment saw his fate hanging in the balance.
This prompted speculation among fans and the media that producers could have briefed the rest of the group to make sure that Haris was next to leave, with The Sun collating a number of tweets suggesting the show is “fixed”.
However, a Love Island source has insisted to HuffPost UK: “The Islanders seen in the bottom six last night were as a result of the public vote. Two Islanders have then been asked to decide who is dumped.
“They are making the decision based on their personal experiences in the Villa and that alone.”
ITV had no comment when contacted by HuffPost UK.
Love Island recently returned to South Africa for the first time since 2020, with two seasons of the Bafta-winning reality show set to air this year.
This series also marked the debut of Maya Jama as Love Island’s new host, following the departure of Laura Whitmore in 2022.
Love Island continues on Wednesday night at 9pm on ITV2.