Love Island star sensationally axed after revelation he was arrested over machete attack on dad just months ago
ITV chiefs sent him home from
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Kyle Ashman has been axed from Love Island after he was arrested on suspicion of a machete attack
Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
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Ashman was sent home from Majorca by ITV chiefs
Credit: Instagram/@kyleashmantr
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His exit from the show throws it into chaos ahead of Monday's launch of the new series
Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
Masked thugs stormed a wake in Stafford and hacked at a dad with a blade in February.
Sources said the channel was unaware of the incident and he was not flagged as part of contestant checks.
The victim, 38, nearly lost his arm. He was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment and kept in for around two weeks.
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Another mourner was glassed, one struck with a metal pole, and two people run over by a car during 15 minutes of terror at a social club in Stafford.
Ashman, who lives in the town, was one of two men to be nicked on suspicion of affray and bailed.
Police confirmed yesterday that after the matter had been investigated the pair were released with no further action only last month.
A source said: 'This was a horrific attack which could have been even worse.
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'Ashman may have signed up to one of the biggest shows on TV with this hanging over his head.'
It is not suggested that Ashman, whose job involves laying and repairing water pipes, was involved in the attack. Last night he insisted he was not a violent person.
Love Island 2025 cast revealed as footballer, actress and beauty influencer who cheated death sign up
Confirming his show exit, an ITV spokesman said: 'For personal reasons, Kyle will not be entering the Love Island Villa as planned.'
The mass brawl broke out at The White Eagle Club on February 28.
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Sources said three balaclava-clad thugs armed with machetes and metal poles stormed the venue and attacked the dad over an alleged £3,000 debt.
They attacked him with a blade and left him with a deep gash on his arm — with witnesses wrapping towels over it to stem the bleed.
Pals say he has suffered tendon damage and is unable to drive due to his injuries.
This was a horrific attack which could have been even worse
A source
Witnesses said the mob made off in a white Vauxhall Astra waiting outside.
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Around 70 mourners, some elderly and some children, had gathered to pay their respects to local Stanley Reid.
Our source continued: 'This seemed to be a targeted attack — they knew who they were looking for and where he was. People wrapped a towel around the man's injury while waiting for emergency services.
"Children were taken into a room and locked in there to keep them away from the violence.
'People were screaming and crying in fear. They had gathered to pay final farewells to a man who was really well-respected within the local community.
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'They could have killed someone that night. They are nothing but scumbags. They ruined what was a lovely send-off for a good person.'
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Ashman was one of two men to be nicked on suspicion of affray and bailed
Credit: Instagram
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The mass brawl broke out at The White Eagle Club on February 28
Credit: Roland Leon
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In February masked thugs burst into the wake and hacked at a dad-of-two with a blade in front of terrified mourners including children
Credit: Roland Leon
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Troubled history of hit show
By Jonathan Kanengoni
LOVE Island has been hit by a string controversies since it first aired in 2015.
Malia Arkian lasted just three hours before she was marched out by security in its second year after pushing co-contestant Kady McDermott for spilling wine on her.
In 2019, Sherif Lanre was booted off after nine days. He had made a vile joke after accidentally kicking fan fave Molly-Mae Hague in the crotch during a play fight.
Ollie Williams left the villa after three days in 2020 when he realised he still had feelings for his ex.
But his exit came amid mounting pressure on bosses to remove him after pictures of him allegedly trophy hunting came to light.
Salesman Haris Namani was dumped in 2023 after The Sun revealed footage of him in a street brawl.
The show has faced complaints over bullying — and failures to look after islanders' mental health when the cameras stop rolling.
Sophie Gradon took her own life, aged 32, two years after she appeared on Love Island 2016.
And Mike Thalassitis's suicide in 2019, at 26, prompted calls for better after-care by reality shows.
After the tragedy, Love Island said it would be offering further support and 'bespoke training' to contestants in future.
In 2022, it got 3,600 Ofcom complaints in just one week over alleged misogynistic behaviour by some of the male contestants.
And earlier this year, the watchdog received thousands of complaints about All Stars contestant Elma Pazar's 'bullying' of co-star Ekin-Su Culculoglu during an argument.
Staffordshire Police said yesterday: 'We were called to a social club on Riverway, Stafford, at 7.40pm on Friday, February 28 following reports that someone had been glassed outside and a fight was taking place. Some of the men involved were wearing masks and were carrying weapons.
'Two men went to hospital after suffering injuries at the scene. Both have since been discharged.
'A man and a woman suffered minor injuries at the scene but did not want any medical treatment.
'Officers have reviewed CCTV footage and have been actively carrying out enquiries to find out more about what happened.
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ITV were entirely unaware of Kyle's past and, as he was not charged, it was not flagged as part of Love Island's stringent DBS checks
Show source
'A 22-year-old man, from Stafford, was arrested on suspicion of wounding and affray. Another man, also 22 and from Stafford, was arrested on suspicion of affray.
'Both were questioned in custody and bailed with conditions while our enquiries continue.'
Suspects released
A force spokeswoman later confirmed that both suspects had been released with no further action last month.
Ashman said last night: 'I fully co-operated with this police
investigation
and made it very clear that I had no involvement in this incident.
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'I am not a violent person and any suggestion otherwise is a mischaracterisation.'
A show source said: 'ITV were entirely unaware of Kyle's past and, as he was not charged, it was not flagged as part of Love Island's stringent DBS checks.
'It's only right he can now return home to the UK to share his side of the story and therefore bosses took the decision that it was best for him not to enter the villa.'
Contestants typically sign up months in advance of
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The launch episode of last year's summer series was watched by 3.3million fans.
ITV yesterday officially announced the new line-up and released images of contestants, with Ashman showing off his six-pack.
Asked about the type of Love Islander he would like to couple up with, Ashman said: 'Someone who is fun, confident and just themselves.'
Asked if host
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Love Island winners - where they are now
EVERY year Love Island opens its doors to more sexy Islanders who are hoping for a holiday romance that could turn into more.
Here we take you through all of the
2025 -
The second series of All Stars saw
STATUS:
Still together.
2024 -
The summer Love Island saw
and
Josh Oyinsan
were
STATUS:
Broken up.
2024 -
The first ever All stars spin off show was
STATUS:
Still together.
2023 -
STATUS:
Broken up.
2023 -
The first series of 2023 saw
STATUS:
Still together.
2022 -
STATUS:
Broken up.
2021 -
STATUS:
Still together.
2020 -
The first ever winter Love Island saw
STATUS:
Broken up.
2019 -
Series 5 saw
STATUS:
Broken up.
2018 -
It wasn't surprising fan favourites
STATUS:
Broken up.
2017 -
STATUS:
Broken up.
2016
- Nathan Massey and Cara De La Hoyde were together from the start of the series, and since they won the show they've had two kids and are married.
STATUS:
Still together.
2015 -
Despite poor
STATUS:
Broken up.
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It's a pretty heartbreaking first-hand account of exactly what it's like to grow up under the glare of a particular kind of tabloid spotlight, where you aren't cushioned by the greater respect that's seemingly afforded to, say, Hollywood actors and their offspring. There's a certain inevitability to Princess Andre starring in her own reality TV show. After all, we are talking about the daughter of Katie Price and Peter Andre, who were once the first couple of ITV2. Her parents met and fell in love in front of the nation on I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here. Her mum's pregnancy was documented in Katie & Peter: The Next Chapter in 2007. Then the first six weeks of her life were broadcast in Katie & Peter: The Baby Diaries. Over the next two years, she would appear in her parents' shows as a tiny supporting character, until their split in 2009. At this point, reality TV is practically the family business. So ITV have commissioned a four-part series: The Princess Diaries (available now on ITVX), following Princess (who was 17 at the time of recording) as she leans into her fledgling career as an influencer, planning a beauty brand, appearing in a catwalk show in Ibiza… and trying to finally pass her driving test. 'I'm here to show you guys that I am my own person and following my own path,' she declares to the camera in the first episode, her blue eyes wide and earnest. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Princess, who turned 18 in June, is definitely her own person. Some viewers will undoubtedly tune in with schadenfreude on their minds, assuming that the show will confirm their suspicions that the eldest daughter of two UK tabloid fixtures will be, well, an absolute nightmare. They'll be left disappointed: the teen comes across as very sweet and improbably well-adjusted, funny and self-possessed, with a solid relationship with both of her parents. It's Andre and his second wife Emily MacDonagh who get the most airtime here, which is hardly a surprise given that Princess is represented by the singer-slash-presenter's management team – this skewing has already prompted plenty of tabloid stories about 'family feuds'. Price, meanwhile, crops up in voice notes and phone calls. Yet Princess is also the product of her own unique, extraordinarily tumultuous upbringing – and that's where this show gets weird. The Princess Diaries follows the glossy template set by influencer-centric documentaries such as Prime Video's Molly-Mae: Behind It All. There are meetings with managers, soundbites about wanting to 'become a successful businesswoman' and a handful of low-key, manufactured dramas (Princess's fake nails ping off moments before she has to hit the red carpet! Her dad's not happy about the grown-up dress she's wearing for the fashion show!). It's a familiar mix of the aspirational and relatable – for the most part. About 10pc of the show, though, is occupied by more troubling subject matter. Whenever Princess looks back on her earlier childhood, there's a marked tonal shift, and it's handled in such a way as to give you whiplash. One moment, she is going out for a test drive with her dad or filming a TikTok challenge with her older brother Junior (she also has three younger siblings on her dad's side, and another three – two younger, one older – on her mum's). The next, she is reflecting on growing up part-time in the house the tabloids have dubbed 'the Mucky Mansion' – Price's home in West Sussex where, it seems, Princess and her brother had to contend with their mum's turbulent personal life: Price's split from third husband, Kieran Hayler, after he had an affair with her close friend; her struggles with drugs and alcohol abuse; and her well-documented financial problems. 'I was around adult-y things that kids shouldn't see,' Princess says in one to-camera interview with poignant understatement, before admitting that, at the peak of one particular tabloid drama, she would end up 'coming home from school and would go to bed and cry'. In a recent Guardian interview, Princess described the mansion as 'a really scary house'. 'I guess when you have bad experiences somewhere, you don't like the place,' she explained, with a sad economy. It's a pretty heartbreaking first-hand account of exactly what it's like to grow up under the glare of a particular kind of tabloid spotlight, where you aren't cushioned by the greater respect that's seemingly afforded to, say, Hollywood actors and their children. In another sad anecdote, her brother recounts what it was like to have the paparazzi follow Price's car as she dropped them off at school, with photographers apparently camping out overnight to get a decent shot. Yet these moments that seem to start asking tricky questions about the ethics of placing kids in the media glare are truncated before they ever really get going – often by footage of, say, Peter Andre making dad jokes, or a dog slobbering on her denim Louis Vuitton sliders. It's a frustrating viewing experience. One sequence that encapsulates the show's odd stance on difficult memories appears in episode two. Princess sits down with Junior – who has accompanied her on her work trip to Ibiza – to talk about the South Africa carjacking incident they were both caught up in as children, when Price's vehicle was attacked and she was raped at gunpoint (the model has since said she developed PTSD and suffered with severe depression afterwards). 'I just feel so numb to it,' Princess says, alluding to the fact that she's barely begun to grapple with the implications of such horror. But these conversations are interspersed with shots of the siblings enjoying a jolly horse riding session on the island. You can understand why Princess, the daughter of consummate over-sharer Price, might hesitate to speak about such difficult topics. She's had a front row seat as her parents' war of words played out in headlines. Plus, she's barely an adult, and doesn't owe us her trauma. I'm not advocating for a show filled with gratuitous misery – it's at its best when we see sweet moments between Princess and Junior, who clearly have a watertight sibling bond, and hear the aspiring influencer chat warmly about her older brother, Harvey, who has the rare genetic condition Prader-Willi syndrome. But you can't help but feel as if this shiny, softball documentary is entirely the wrong medium for a story like Princess's. And, most striking of all, it never attempts to probe exactly why, for all her painful experiences, this young woman still wants a career in the public eye at all. It might be all she knows, but watching this series, you might wonder if that's a good enough reason. (© The Independent)
