Love Island star slams ITV show as they complain the All Stars series 'has a diversity problem'

A Love Island 2021 star has criticised the show’s new All Stars series over a ‘disappointing’ lack of diversity.

Doctor Priya Gopaldas, who is now 26, starred in Love Island’s seventh season alongside Liberty Poole, Jake Cornish, Kaz Kamwi and Toby Aromolaran – who are all featuring in the All Stars series debut on Monday.

Despite diversity on the ITV hit reality TV show improving in recent years, Priyan said it has not necessarily been in the most ‘appropriate’ way.

She told The Sun: ‘I think the show has become more diverse, but I don’t think that the diversity is appropriate.’

Priya pointed out that the second-largest majority in the UK is South Asians, who are not represented at all by the latest Love Island cast as it stands.

A former Love Island star has slammed the ITV All Star series for a lack of ‘appropriate’ diversity

Priya Gopaldas pointed out that there is no South Asian representation in the series as it stands, meaning that there is nobody from the UK’s largest ethnic minority

The junior doctor was on series seven of the show with Liberty Pool (L) and Kaz Kamwi (R) as well as Jake Cornish and Toby Aromolaran (both not pictured) who are all on the All Stars cast

It was, however, revealed that Priya was contacted last year – just a week after the end of a previous relationship – about being involved in the new season, but she will not be taking part.

That involved remote interviews, a psychological assessment and finally a studio meeting.

However, the junior doctor insisted she ‘didn’t mind’ her absence, as it would have only set her career back even further after taking a year out of medical school to participate three years ago.

In 2021, Priya joined on day 42 of the series, and went on to couple up with Brett Staniland.

However, after just over a week on our screens, she was dumped with Brett in the lead-up to the final.

Priya added that she has been contacted by other South Asians who had applied to Love Island, with no luck, since her appearance.

And with her having been actively head-hunted for her stint in the villa, Priya said: ‘On both sides they’re trying to make it work, but it hasn’t really worked.’

With the All Stars version of Love Island starting on January 15, there is plenty of time for the line-up to be shaken up.

But with only past contestants to choose from, and the relative lack of South Asian representation in pervious series, it is unlikely that this will be the one where the villa’s demographics see a drastic shift.