Only six of this year’s Love Island contestants were cast through the show’s general application process, with two thirds found by the programme’s casting team, the boss of ITV has said.
There were 36 islanders on the fifth series of the show, including the occupants of Casa Amor who did not move into the main villa.
Three contestants were only on the show for two weeks, including Greg O’Shea, who was the last bombshell to enter the villa and who went on to win the series with Amber Gill.
They’ve not stopped smiling since they first set eyes on each other… Amber and Greg are your #LoveIsland 2019 winners! ❤️🎉 pic.twitter.com/3pEd9nbMGc
— Love Island (@LoveIsland) July 29, 2019
MPs on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee investigating reality TV had queried how many of the show’s contestants had been approached by members of the casting team in relation to the number that had applied.
In written evidence, ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall said: “On series five of Love Island to date (July 15), there have been 36 contributors.
“Twenty-four were found and cast by the programme’s casting team, six were put forward by professional agents and six came through the general application process.”
A number of contestants already had professional representation before they entered the villa.
Curtis Pritchard, the brother of Strictly Come Dancing star AJ Pritchard, is a professional on the Irish version of Dancing With The Stars, while Tommy Fury, the brother of Tyson Fury, is also a boxer.
💡🎥💥 – Lights Camera Action. The scene is set, we are ready are you !? @DWTSIRL pic.twitter.com/TxWDqVlUVo
— Curtis Pritchard (@CurtisPritchard) December 26, 2018
Molly-Mae Hague, who was a runner-up with Tommy, already had a significant following on Instagram and worked as an influencer.
Dame Carolyn has previously told MPs ITV gets about 98,000 applications for Love Island and has denied that casting directors are given instructions about physical appearance when searching for contestants.
She said: “There’s a very rigorous application and casting process.
“We get about 98,000 applications for Love Island, they then take that down to about 90 to 100 as soon as they get a call back – at that stage they go through medical questionnaires, psychological questionnaires, assessments, that then goes down to about 30 or 40 who get selected to appear on Love Island.
“It’s a very rigorous process of screening that goes on before they actually get on to Love Island.”