Love Island star Sharon Gaffka has denied claims that the hit ITV2 reality series is “damaging to young women”.
Gaffka is one of the contestants set to appear in the 2021 series of Love Island, which begins on ITV2 tomorrow (28 June).
Speaking to press ahead of the series’ debut, Gaffka said (per Digital Spy): “I think people that say it’s damaging to young women... I’ve put myself here, nobody’s forced me to be here, it’s of my own free will.
“So to say that it’s unfeminist is really unfair because I consider myself to be a feminist and it’s the same with beauty pageants. It’s my decision, it’s my body. It’s my choice, so to say it’s unfeminist I think is unfair,” she said.
Gaffka also said she was hoping to break some of the “stereotypes” that are sometimes attributed to reality TV contestants.
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“The stereotypes that people have of reality TV, it being damaging to young women, maybe because there’s been a stereotype in the past where a lot of the women aren’t necessarily role models in some people’s opinion... I think that I would probably break that stereotype in a sense,” she said.
“I’ve come from a professional working career and I describe myself as a feminist and a role model, especially when working with Young Women’s Trust, so I think that I’m probably going to break that stereotype and that’s something that I’m really happy and proud to be a part of.”
You can read a rundown of this year’s Love Island contestants here.
Love Island starts on Monday 28 June at 9pm on ITV2 and ITV Hub.
Episodes are available the following morning on BritBox.
