The mother of late Love Island contestant Sophie Gradon has slammed ITV bosses for 'belittling' the deaths of both her daughter and Mike Thalassitis.
Former Miss Newcastle Sophie was found dead at her parents' home in Ponteland in June last year, with a coroner ruling that she hung herself after consuming alcohol and cocaine, at an inquest held in April.
Mike was found hanged in woodland in north London in March 2019.
Speaking on The Today Programme, ITV CEO Dame Carolyn McCall was asked whether she thought Love Island should have been cancelled following Sophie and Mike's deaths and her response that it was "a strange topic" to raise did not go down well with Sophie's mum Deborah Gradon.
Penning an open letter to Dame McCall via The Sun , she wrote "How dare you try to trivialise and belittle the deaths of our beloved children. To try and exercise some right of removal from the show, is principally evil."
Deborah goes on to claim Sophie did not in fact apply to go on Love Island, she was instead scouted by producers and asked to appear on it, despite being candid about her mental health struggles.
Deborah continued "Sophie exposed her defencelessness to you and you took total advantage. She could be manipulated, deployed and stage- managed to do almost anything at your behest.
"...Sophie made several attempts to leave the show, as she was desperately unhappy, on her fourth request the production team acquiesced and allowed her to leave.
"By this time Sophie’s anxiety was exacerbated to an unprecedented level."
Ending the letter, Deborah wrote "In my beautiful darling daughter’s own words: “I sold my soul to ITV”.
In response to Deborah Gradon's letter, ITV told Chronicle Live "Our deepest sympathies are with Sophie’s mother and her friends and family."
