TV Psychologists Told Us How Reality Stars Are Supported On Set
This week, Love Island prompted conversations about gaslighting and emotional abuse, following a statement from Women’s Aid about concerning behaviour on the show. The discussion raised some questions about what the programme was doing to support contestants psychologically as the show progressed, as well as wider issues about the very specific needs of reality TV stars and the help in place for them.
When I contacted ITV, they directed me to the statement about their duty of care towards the Love Island contestants, released before this series started:
Duty of care towards all of our Islanders is always of paramount importance. We have 24 hour security in place at the villa, and our islanders have ongoing access to an on site psychologist as well as show producers. Production will always intervene if they feel behaviour is unacceptable
Measures we have had in place since the first series include:
– A strict briefing for all islanders regarding acceptable behaviour before they go in
– Strict guidelines on sexual behaviour in the villa
– Constant monitoring of islander behaviour once in the villa
All of these are important, necessary moves, but I was particularly interested in the psychological support available to contestants before, during and after filming – not just on Love Island, but on reality shows in general. To find out more about how this works, I spoke to two TV psychologists, Honey Langcaster-James – who writes the blog Life and How to Love It, and served as the resident psychologist on an early season of Love Island – and Jo Hemmings, who has worked on Celebrity Big Brother and other high profile reality shows.
Discussing this week’s Love Island goings-on, Jo tells me about the improvements she’d have made: “There doesn’t seem to ever be an onscreen opportunity, which the viewers would want, to see somebody being advised that their behaviour was inappropriate,” she says. “I think when you get a groundswell of public opinion, and the viewers saying, ‘Okay, that’s disgusting,’ the contestants ought to be called up on it. The show should have a Big Brother-type figure to reassure people who are watching. There ought to be a place they can go where they’re spoken to and they’re warned.”
For people who’ve been subject to the sort of behaviour that requires a warning, Honey tells me about the importance of an on-site psychologist (in Love Island’s case, the show confirmed that a counsellor would be available to contestants back in April), which is a role she has filled for various reality programmes. Once filming has begun, she tells me, “My work typically involves advising producers on any concerns I may have and also being on hand to meet with or speak to contributors who may need psychological support throughout filming. This is always done off-camera, and it provides contributors with a safe and confidential space where they can get the support they need.”
Support for reality TV stars, however, usually begins in pre-production. For most reality shows, including Love Island, contestants take part in a pre-screening process to assess their suitability. Honey explains how this works: “My methods involve using a battery of psychological tests in written form, which I then analyse, and wherever possible I also conduct psychological screening interviews,” she says. “I then produce a report for producers on the suitability of participants and offer advice on any specific needs or potential causes for concern that I’ve identified.”
And while ensuring that participants are suitable to appear on reality TV in the first place is crucial, both Jo and Honey believe that after-care – once the show has ended and the contestants find themselves back in the real world – is absolutely paramount. “On the best shows, I am also able to provide after-care to contributors once the show has ended,” says Honey. “Sometimes it won’t be needed, but some contributors find it helpful to have some ongoing support beyond the life of the show, especially if the world they return to has changed for them because of them becoming known, or if there has been anything controversial about their appearance.”
Jo agrees about the significance of after-care, and thinks some shows and production companies could do better in terms of what they’re able to offer: “What most have is a week post-filming where contestants have the same access to psychological help if they need it, but that’s while they also set them up for photoshoots and so on,” she notes. “After that, they’re absolutely on their own. I feel that there ought to be at least a month with at least an on-call psychologist, because the week of flashbulbs and your name being on everyone’s lips eventually stops. And when you don’t find fame, which 99 percent of them don’t, that is the point where they just feel very lost and a bit abandoned. That’s where, really, they need more help than ever.”
When shows are off air, it’s easy to forget that most reality stars have to adjust to some semblance of normal life after their appearances – which, in many cases, can be tough. Jo tells me that in her experience, the level of after-care varies from show to show. “Some companies are brilliant and you’re there from the word ‘go’, and others will just pay the lip-service that they need to pay in order to not be liable,” she says.
Perhaps, to better serve contestants who provide so many viewers so much entertainment, and the networks millions of viewers, it’s time for a better, more standardised code of support across the reality TV industry.
This article originally appeared on VICE UK.