‘Love Island USA’ Fans Think the Casting This Season Has Been Terrible: ‘They’re Scraping the Barrel’
As the latest season of Love Island USA heads to its conclusion, many fans have very few positive things to say about it. This season, two cast members have left early after past racist posts surfaced. Fans believe production should have done a better job vetting contestants. They also think that the show needs to focus far less on casting influencers.
‘Love Island USA’ fans are not happy with the casting this season
After cast member Cierra Ortega left the villa due to the use of racial slurs in past social media posts, many fans expressed their disappointment with this season.
“This season has no strong couples,” wrote one Reddit user. “You can tell they’re scraping the barrel with casting bc the men are not good.”
“It’s actually hilarious how badly they dropped the ball this season when it came to gathering the people for this season,” wrote another person. “Like – so so so many mistakes.”
Many people have expressed that the influencer-heavy cast has been a problem for them.
“Casting a dating show full of influencers is what ruins it for me,” wrote one person. “It’s clear a lot of them care more about angling for brand deals than finding a strong relationship. A Love Island season full of people with normal jobs would be worth watching.”
Viewers say they would rather watch normal people fall in love. They believe the influencer cast members are looking to grow their audience, not find love.
“I want to see a dentist and a teacher or a warehouse worker and a nail tech fall in love I’m tired of these influencer losers,” wrote another person. “Authenticity is going to be a rare commodity.”
‘Love Island USA’ host Ariana Madix asked fans to be nice to the cast
The show’s production team seems to be aware of the fan reaction to the cast. Ahead of one episode, the show asked viewers to be kind.
“We appreciate the fans, the passion for the series, and the amazing group of Islanders who are sharing their summer with us,” read the statement posted to X (formerly Twitter). “Please just remember they’re real people — so let’s be kind and spread the love!”
The show’s host, Ariana Madix, also addressed the backlash from fans.
“I love the passion of the audience, but sometimes it’s like, ‘Give them a second to resolve their argument before you just hop online and start being absolutely atrocious to these Islanders,’” she said on Aftersun (per Deadline). “It blows my mind that again I have to say not to harass them on the internet. And I don’t understand why week after week we have to keep saying, ‘Don’t do that.’”
When is the finale of ‘Love Island USA’ Season 7?
Fans who are sick of this show’s cast will soon get a reprieve. The Love Island USA Season 7 finale will air on Sunday, July 13 at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock. The last couple standing will take home a $100,000 prize.
Peacock will also let fans revisit the Season 6 cast with the new show Love Island: Beyond the Villa. It will follow last season’s cast and show how their lives have changed since their time at the villa.
