“It’s hard for slim, white, straight people to relate to this sometimes.”
Jameela Jamil has told Caroline Flack that she think Love Island would be “even better with diversity.”
The Good Place actor said previously that she was disappointed ITV had cast a “slim” woman, new islander Anna, as their “token plus-size contestant.”
Flack responded directly to the comment, saying that the show was “more than” what’s on the surface. She argued that as a dating show, producers can only cast those who apply.
As opposed to all of those who are directly scouted every year, right Caroline?
https://twitter.com/jameelajamil/status/1133393791501701120
Jamil has since responded to Flack, reiterating her point that the show’s cast is still incredibly white and slim centric.
“Sorry Caroline, the show could stand to have some more diversity,” she said on Twitter.
“It’s hard for slim, white, straight people to relate to this sometimes. I understand that. You can’t begin to understand erasure because you’re constantly represented. The show would be even better with diversity.”
Jamil also addressed the media’s tendency to describe her words as an “attack” rather than a response.
https://twitter.com/jameelajamil/status/1135165174699085824
“What the actual fuck @YahooCelebUK I didn’t attack anyone,” she wrote. “I politely responded. It is racist as all HELL to paint the brown woman responding civilly to the white woman who has publicly criticized her, as an ‘attack.’
“Tired of media painting WOC (women of colour) in this way. I see you.”
This comes after Love Island producer Richard Cowles defended the show’s cast saying: “Yes, we want to be as representative as possible but we also want them to be attracted to one another.”
Right. Cool. Cheers for that, Richard.
Love Island kicks off this Monday on Virgin Media Two.
