What Love Island USA can learn from the UK franchise's own tragedies

Love Island USA - a spinoff of the UK reality series - is having its most-watched season yet. But its newfound popularity has come with a dark side.

Contestants have been relentlessly cyberbullied on social media, so much so that the show aired a statement during a recent episode with a plea for viewers to halt the harassment. Its host Ariana Madix echoed the sentiment, asking viewers to rethink their posts and how they could impact the cast.

The show - which places everyday men and women in a villa in Fiji to compete and find love - often helps contestants secure millions of social media followers, brand deals and appearance requests.

But the downsides of overnight fame have been well-documented since the show's start 10 years ago in the UK, with some contestants complaining about depression, anxiety and relentless scrutiny. Two contestants died by suicide after appearing on the show, prompting the British government to launch an inquiry into reality television.

The show's producers say they've learned from the reality franchise's years of success how to better support cast and crew. But psychology experts who have worked with reality TV shows say it's an uphill battle.

Members of the cast do not have access to their cell phones or social media while on the island, but their friends and family have been responding to some of the harassment - including those who know contestant Huda Mustafa, a mother whose relationship with fellow Islander Jeremiah Brown has been heavily scrutinised online this season.

The show has routinely defended itself and its cohesive psychological support system. Similar critiques have been made toward reality TV production broadly, boiling over in 2023 when reality star Bethenny Frankel of the Housewives franchise sounded off on the treatment of reality stars, dubbing it a "reality reckoning".

"Networks and streamers have been exploiting people for too long," she said, arguing those who appear on reality programmes should be unionised.

The calls were followed by several lawsuits challenging "Love Is Blind," the "Real Housewives" franchise and "Vanderpump Rules" - where Ms Madix rose to fame - over the treatment of the shows' casts.

Suzie Gibson, a senior lecturer in English at Charles Sturt University, compared reality TV stars to "modern-day gladiators, battling for love, fame and Instagram followers".

"Audiences can live vicariously through their favourites, while hoping for others' dismissal or ridicule."