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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Harry Rutter

Jacques O'Neill makes explosive claims about Love Island producers meddling in Casa Amor

Jacques O'Neill has made explosive claims about producers on Love Island.

The former ITV2 villa contestant has hit out at show bosses who 'got in his head' during his time on the hit-TV programme earlier this year.

In a tell-all interview, the ex-rugby player discussed his antics in Casa Amor and how ITV producers reportedly told him he "looked silly".

He left the villa after receiving public backlash during his time on the show, mainly surrounding his behaviour towards Paige Thorne.

His family took to social media to reveal that he had been diagnosed with ADHD at a young age – which could explain some of his impulsive actions.

He has spoken out in a tell-all interview with Scott Thomas (Youtube)

Jacques explained that he left feeling "numb" - but says producers tried to "test" him inside the villa.

Spilling behind-the-scenes details of when he decided to sleep outside on the show, he said: "Luca slept outside the first night and I was prepared to do that as well."

"Because I didn’t want Luca being by himself and I was like it's respectful anyway," he told former Love Islander Scott Thomas on his Learning About Judgement podcast.

"And what really got into my head, because the first day the girls got in, people have said this, I was like a live switch, I literally changed.

He received backlash after his behaviour towards Paige (ITV)

"And I’m so glad I’m being able to speak about it because I want people to know.

"I followed Luca out the first night, we went out together. They [producers] come on the tannoy, and they go ‘Jacques you look silly’.

"I’m like 'pardon, what do you mean I look silly?' I started speaking into my mic 'what do you mean? Come on tell me?' And they say 'no you’re fine, we don’t mean that go to bed'.

"So I go straight to the beach hut and say 'tell me why I look silly, what’s happening?'"

Jacques says that producers told him he "looked silly" (ITV)

"They say, 'no we don’t mean it like that, it just looks like you’re following Luca,' and I’m like 'no no no it’s deeper than that, if I'm looking silly I'm not being a mug.' I have got a lot of pride and I don’t want to be mugged off," he added.

"So I thought 'if I’m looking silly I’m going to wake up tomorrow and crack on.'

"And that’s where I changed. I literally woke up the next morning and I was saying to Dami, 'okay let's test it'.

"Because they (producers) were then saying in the beach hut 'do you not think you need to test your connection?' And I’m like, well, after last night if I’m looking silly then yeah I do, I do need to test my connection, let’s go."

The Mirror has contacted ITV for a comment.

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