Laura Whitmore hopes new 'Love Island' series 'does Caroline Flack proud'
Laura Whitmore has said she hopes to make Caroline Flack "proud" with the upcoming series of Love Island.
The host of the ITV2 dating show shared her excitement to Instagram after the contestant line-up was announced on Monday.
She also urged her followers to treat the Islanders with kindness.
Whitmore wrote: “I think we’re all ready for some love! Ahhhhhh! So excited to watch the new islanders.
Watch: Love Island 2021 contestants unveiled
“Hope you enjoy talking about them and following their journey and just a reminder to treat them with love, compassion and respect when they leave the show and go back to real life.”
Read more: ITV chief: I'd let my children take part in 'Love Island' if they wanted
“Caroline I hope we do you proud. One week to go," she added.
Flack took her own life in February 2020 at the age of 40. She had hosted the first five seasons of the programme before Whitmore took over for the first winter series in January 2020.
ITV also recently announced new duty of care protocols for contestants, with participants set to be offered a minimum of eight therapy sessions after leaving the villa.
They will also be trained on financial management and "how to handle potential negativity".
The programme has attracted controversy in the past over its duty of care after the deaths of former contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis, both of whom died by suicide.
The mothers of Gradon and Thalassitis recently urged contestants on the show's upcoming series not to take part.
Gradon's mum, Deborah, and Thalassitis's mother, Shirley, met for the first time in an interview with the Sunday Mirror in which they called for ITV2 to axe Love Island for good.
Deborah Gradon said she "won’t be happy until the show is off air" and that it was wrong for the show to return after the deaths of Gradon, Thalassitis and former presenter Caroline Flack, who also took her own life in 2020.
Love Island returns to ITV2 at 9pm on Monday 28 June.
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Watch: Laura Whitmore pays tribute to Caroline Flack
