N.I. targets next programme they want television bosses to abolish after Jeremy Kyle Show scandal

People from all over Northern Ireland are now calling on bosses at I.T.V. to use the scandal surrounding The Jeremy Kyle Show as an opportunity to abolish one of the channel's most popular reality television programmes.
Love Island contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis who took their own lives in 2018 and 2019 respectively. (Photos: I.T.V.)Love Island contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis who took their own lives in 2018 and 2019 respectively. (Photos: I.T.V.)
Love Island contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis who took their own lives in 2018 and 2019 respectively. (Photos: I.T.V.)

Love Island is due to return for a fifth series on I.T.V. in July but many people in Northern Ireland would like to see it join The Jeremy Kyle Show on the rubbish heap.

I.T.V. bosses announced their decision to axe The Jeremy Kyle Show after it emerged a guest who appeared in the episode which had been due for broadcast on Monday had died.

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"Love Island should be the next show to go - it's deplorable and damaging and we should not be promoting it," wrote one reader online.

Love Island contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis who took their own lives in 2018 and 2019 respectively. (Photos: I.T.V.)Love Island contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis who took their own lives in 2018 and 2019 respectively. (Photos: I.T.V.)
Love Island contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis who took their own lives in 2018 and 2019 respectively. (Photos: I.T.V.)

"It never ceases to amaze me what people regard as entertainment these days but that aside, we are talking about human beings, we have to be better than this and make sure Love Island contestants are able to get help if they find the experience overwhelming," wrote another reader.

Love Island contestants Sophie Gradon (32) and Mike Thalassitis (26) took their own lives in separate incidents in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

Miss Gradon's boyfriend, Aaron Armstrong, took his own life 20 days after her death.

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Fans criticised the show for not offering contestants sufficient care and support before, during and after recording.

The tragic deaths of Miss Gradon and Mr Thalassitis have resulted in I.T.V. offering therapy, social media training and financial advice to all future contestants.

I.T.V. made the announcement after it conducted a review into how it can better care for the welfare of contestants.

"This review has led us to extend our support processes to offer therapy to all Islanders and not only those that reach out to us," said an I.T.V. spokesperson earlier this year.

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"And we will be delivering bespoke training to all future Islanders to include social media and financial management.

"The key focus will be for us to no longer be reliant on the Islanders asking us for support but for us to proactively check in with them on a regular basis."

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