Nearly eight years ago I was sat with Mike Thalassitis at an awards ceremony.
He was one of the most charming men I’d ever met; we spoke about his family, his new restaurant, and his time on Love Island.
One month later I was reporting on his death at the age of just 26.
Mike had been in a ‘dark place’ leading up to his suicide, it was stated during the inquest.
When it was announced that Amazon Prime Video was releasing a two-part documentary exploring the three deaths associated with the ITV dating show (Mike, Sophie Gradon, and Caroline Flack), I was apprehensive.
The subject alone is sensitive to so many. How do you even begin to tackle so much sorrow in two episodes?
I figured a lot of newer Love Island viewers might not know about the darker side of the show, Sophie, Mike and Caroline’s individual stories, and how much reality TV has changed since.
But The Curse of Love Island, which promises to ‘reveal the pressures of fame, online abuse and the devastating impact they can have’, reduces three very complex and devastating deaths to an outdated and unnecessary question: Who is to blame?
‘This isn’t about starting to point at a show, or a company, or a person,’ psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos reflects in the docu-series. ‘There are infinite reasons to kind of create this sort of perfect storm. It would be unfair to pick up one commonality and say that that was that one thing.’
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While a lot of the contributors on the show agree that Love Island and ITV aren’t responsible for what happened, former contestants of the show, who should be considered the real experts, disagree.
Anton Danyluk, who appeared on series five of the show in 2019 and then again on the All Stars spinoff in 2024, declares ‘there’s no higher high than the summer you’re preparing for Love Island,’ before revealing how it all came crashing down for him.
Anton says he began drinking and using drugs after his first stint on the show before ultimately trying to take his own life. He argues that the long-term aftercare he needed wasn’t provided by the broadcaster.
Malin Andersson, who appeared on the much more raw and unpolished season two of the show in 2016, recalls her stint as ‘quite toxic, so superficial and artificial’, before revealing her financial struggles once the fame and glory had all but disappeared.
A childhood friend of Sophie Gradon, who took her own life at the age of 32 in 2018, adds: ‘I wish she never did that show.’
The arguments and points raised on the show are put to ITV, who said in a statement that their duty of care procedures have ‘evolved significantly’ over time.
They now work with medical professionals when reviewing welfare procedures and maintain ‘proactive contact’ with islanders for 14 months after the show ends.
The documentary comes across as more of a blame game than an investigation into what happened and why, and, more importantly, as the show continues to air to this day, begs the question: What needs to change?
What it misses is newer contestants who have experienced the post-aftercare overhaul of the show.
The Curse of Love Island: Key details
Episodes
Two episodes (48 minutes and 47 minutes)
Director
Anabelle Marshall
Producers
Peter Beard, Josie Besbrode
Contributors
Anton Danyluk, Luis Morrison, Malin Andersson, Marcel Somerville, Orlaith Condon, Dr Linda Papadopoulos, Dave Read, Steven Douglass, Paula Akpan, Caroline Frost
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video
Love Island’s duty of care protocols
Pre Filming and Filming
- Registered mental health professional engaged throughout the whole series – from pre-filming to aftercare.
- Thorough pre-filming psychological and medical assessments including assessments by an independent doctor, psychological consultant and reports from each Islander’s own GP to check medical history.
- Potential Islanders are required to fully disclose in confidence any medical history that would be relevant to their inclusion in the Villa and the production’s ability to provide a suitable environment for them.
- Managing cast expectations: detailed explanations both verbally and in writing of the implications, both positive and negative, of taking part in the series are given to potential cast members throughout the casting process and reinforced within the contract so it is clear.
- Cast are told they should consider all the potential implications of taking part in the show and work through this decision-making process in consultation with their family and those closest to them, to ensure they feel it is right for them.
- Senior Team on the ground have received training in Mental Health First Aid.
- A welfare team solely dedicated to the Islanders both during the show and after.
Aftercare
- ITV encourage Islanders to secure management to represent them after the show and manage them should they choose to take part in other TV shows, advertising campaigns or other public appearance opportunities.
- Bespoke training on dealing with social media and advice on finance and adjusting to life back home.
- A minimum of eight therapy sessions will be offered to each Islander when they return home.
- Proactive contact with Islanders for a period of 14 months after the series in which they have appeared has ended, with additional help provided where applicable.
Are things better now? What does support look like in 2026? What happens to former contestants when the work dries up?
Without this, we’re left in a vicious cycle of the same age-old debate about whether the show is fit for practice and if it should be cancelled.
Away from three deaths linked to the show, Love Island has faced accusations of racism, misogyny, and classism over the years. That alone, some could argue, is worth the axe.
These are all things that should have been woven into unravelling the very complicated history of one of the UK’s most popular TV franchises, not least a mention of the murky world of reality and tabloid shows in this country that have faced similar scandals (The Jeremy Kyle Show, Married at First Sight, etc.)
Is there enough to corroborate claims of a ‘curse’ without viewing the showwith a much wider lens? Absolutely not.
What it does get right is shining a light on the three people we’ve lost, who deserve to be remembered for so much more than just Love Island.
The Curse of Love Island is on Prime Video now.