Love Island 2018 starts in a couple of weeks and one of the biggest changes is that the Islanders will no longer be allowed to smoke in the villa. Is this a good idea? We asked you guys to find out...
Everyone relax, Love Island is officially back on the 4th of June. Yes, the reality dating show that signals the start of the British summer is so close we can almost taste it.
Although the show's been airing since 2015, it wasn't until last year that it really hit the big time - which, it turns out, caused a few unexpected problems for the producers.
Interestingly, while it was the on-screen sex which made the headlines, it was the housemates' regular smoking that drew the most complaints from viewers. In fact, ITV bosses received so many complaints they've made the decision to BAN cigarettes in the villa this year (although it's worth noting Islanders will still be allowed to smoke on camera outside the villa complex).
Obviously, this hasn't gone down too well with some diehard Love Island fans...
But is the Love Island smoking ban really necessary? Should it go further? And should this move be extended to all reality TV shows (there's a whole load of smoking on Big Brother and CBB for example)?
We headed down to Imperial College London, to hear what students to say...
Oskar, Molecular Engineering
"Smoking as it is now can't continue, it's outdated, so this is a good step to fixing that problem. Especially if teenagers are watching the show, as seeing people smoke could have an affect on them. The future is smoke free, so I think this kind of thing is inevitable."
Madeline, Bioinformatics
"Yeah, I definitely think it's a good idea, although getting rid of smoking in general on TV depends on the context. If it's a reality TV show maybe it's less okay to show smoking than a drama or soap or something, because it's easier for an audience to be influenced by real people."
Alex, Synthetic Biology
"It's interesting that when you see the people from Love Island in pictures and videos on Instagram they never have a cigarette in their hand, and yet on the show they smoke freely. They obviously have an image they're trying to present, so if they don't want people on social media seeing them smoking, they shouldn't smoke on TV either."
Tara, Bioinformatics
"I think it's a bit pointless - people don't start smoking just because they've seen it on TV. It's not going to stop anyone at home being influenced."
George, Chemical Engineering
"The show has an adult audience, so I don't think it's that good of an idea. I'd understand if kids were watching, but that's not the case. It just seems like censorship."
Heather, Bioinformatics
"I've never really watched the show so I don't know how much they smoke, but I guess if young people are watching it and looking up to the people on it as role models, it's a good move."
George, Chemical Engineering
"To some degree TV producers hold a certain level of responsibility about how they present real life, but at the same time, people should be educated enough to live their own lives and do what they want."
Caitlin, Chemical Engineering
"I don't think it's a good idea - people should be allowed to do what they want and make the decision for themselves about whether or not they want to be influenced by television. If they're not going to ban alcohol then they shouldn't ban smoking as it's equally dangerous."
Nathaniel, Computing
"I think it's a stupid idea."
