Dr Alex George has revealed that he has joined ITV's mental health advisory board head of this year's Love Island - and is calling for a greater diversity among the contestants chosen to appear on the dating show.
During an appearance on Susannah Constantine's podcast My Wardrobe Malfunction, Alex revealed that he is working with TV bosses on how best to support the contestants on the show this year as well as the viewers tuning in each night.
"I actually sit on a board now, a mental health advisory board for ITV and a lot of the thoughts now moving forward are how can we promote a better wellbeing, not just the people on the show but the people watching it," he said.
|TV, reality TV, can have an impact on people's mental health but it can do it in positive way as well," he went on. "If we think about it and we consider these things when making these shows, consider who you're putting on there: 'Are they prepared for that. What messages are we giving to people? Are we representing the body image, the diversity that we have in the UK on screen?' Those kind of things.
"I'll be interested to see what the cast is like this year on Love Island - but I think that we might see a better diversity, I hope, in all sorts of ways on the show this year."
Alex, who appeared on the dating show in 2018, said returning to his NHS day job helped keep him grounded as well as his close-knit family and friendship group.
The NHS doctor describes himself as an 'introvert' and admits he was shocked when ITV casting directors approached him on Instagram when he had less than 200 followers.
"I told one of my good friends and she was a massive fan of the show and said 'You have to go for the interview! If you have been offered a place why wouldn't you go?""
"I went to the interview and the next week they asked me to be one of the originals. I was very relaxed, I think because - no disrespect to the show - I wasn't really particularly fussed of trying to be on it."
Alex said he even 'forgets' he was on the show now as he has 'so much going on.'
"It's very rare someone mentions Love Island to me anymore.
"It was an incredible part of the journey and a big part of my life though and I never shy away from that."
This June a new crop of singletons will be heading to the famous villa in the hope of finding love.
TV was forced to cancel the 2020 series due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It has been rumoured producers will be inviting same sex couples to appear on the show for the first tie.
Our only stipulation for applicants on Love Island is that they are over 18, single, and looking for love,” a source told the Daily Star.
According to the source, the producers of Love Island teamed up with Tinder to strategically place the ads "inside the app so you have to swipe left or right," and "the ads have been showing up on both male and female gay accounts as well as on those of straight people."
