Love Island contestant Helena Ford faces backlash after racist and fatphobic tweets resurface online
One tweet from 2014 attributed to the now 29-year-old read: 'All I can hear are these f**g foreign dheads.' The post triggered outrage among fans, with many tagging both Love Island and the UK's media regulator Ofcom to demand action.
Comments under the post included remarks like 'Get her gone lads' and 'Count ur days in that villa babe x.' Some viewers went as far as urging producers to remove Helena from the villa immediately.
In addition to the racist remark, other resurfaced tweets from Helena's past also raised eyebrows. In one, she referred to her mother using derogatory language, saying she told her boss she was 'taking my dog for a walk,' before clarifying she was actually talking about her mum. Another tweet read: 'Nah, mum's cooking steak, is this a joke? Are you a s**g? Why would she do this to me?'
Nah, mums cooking steak, is this a joke? Are you a slag? Why would she do this to me — helssss (@HelenaForddd) March 14, 2018
Told my boss I'm taking my dog for a walk, little does she know I'm talking about my mum — helssss (@HelenaForddd) October 16, 2017
A source close to Helena told Devon Live that the posts do not reflect who she is today. 'These tweets are not reflective of the language Helena would use as a 30-year-old woman and she would acknowledge she has done a lot of growing up since what she very naively posted over eight years ago,' the source said.
ITV responded to the controversy by highlighting the steps taken to prepare Islanders before they enter the villa. In a statement to The Tab, the broadcaster emphasized its extensive training programme that addresses race, ethnicity, microaggressions, and appropriate conduct. ITV added that it carries out thorough background checks on participants to ensure accountability.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Love Island's JaNa Craig sparks breakup rumors after unfollowing Kenny Rodriguez
Love Island USA's JaNa Craig has sparked major breakup rumors after unfollowing Kenny Rodriguez on Instagram and wiping their photos from her feed. The move has left fans questioning the future of one of the franchise's most popular couples. The couple, who met on Season 6 and currently star in the Peacock spinoff Love Island: Beyond The Villa, have yet to comment publicly. However, the social media clues are piling up. Pop Crave reported the initial unfollowing, and eagle-eyed fans noted that JaNa's closest friends, Leah Kateb and Serena Page, also unfollowed Kenny in a show of solidarity. Insiders suggest the couple may have grown apart after the show. JaNa is thriving as a content creator and influencer in Las Vegas, while Kenny has reportedly been considering a more traditional career in sales back in Dallas. The physical and lifestyle distance may have contributed to the rumored split. JaNa Craig and Kenny Rodriguez have taken each other out of their bios. — jai (@vyv4ns3) July 27, 2025 The situation is further complicated by the ongoing release of Beyond The Villa episodes, which were filmed before signs of a breakup emerged. Fans are now rewatching tense moments between JaNa and Kenny with fresh perspective, wondering if cracks were already forming. Neither JaNa, Kenny, nor Peacock have released a statement, but the social media silence is speaking volumes. For #JaNa fans, it may be the end of a Love Island fairy tale — and the start of a new chapter apart.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Exhibit showcases new media art
The Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) is hosting Seeing, (Seen): Reframing the Moving Image in Pakistan, a groundbreaking exhibition bringing together artists from Pakistan and the UK to explore the transformative potential of the moving image as a medium of resistance, disruption and reimagination. Seeing, (Seen) engages with themes of memory, identity, and temporality, positioning the moving image as a fluid, uncontained force in contemporary visual culture. It contributes to the evolving discourse on new media and experimental art within Pakistan's unique cultural context. The exhibition features works by prominent Pakistani artists Abdul Hadi, Farida Batool, Kaiser Irfan, Mahnoor Ali Shah, M4HK, Rabeeha Adnan and Ujala Khan, alongside UK-based artist duo John Wood and Paul Harrison, with additional selections from the British Council Art Collection. A dynamic public programme will run throughout the exhibition, including artist talks, panel discussions, workshops, lectures and presentations focused on film, media, identity, and perception. Curated by Islamabad based curator and designer Sarah Rajper, the exhibition reframes film, video and new media as powerful tools for questioning how we see, sense and experience the world. The exhibition is the culmination of Rajper's participation in the prestigious Art Exchange: Moving Image curatorial fellowship - a year-long international programme, supported by the British Council and organised by LUX (UK) and Art South Asia Project. The fellowship included opportunities for mentorship, critical exchange and research visits to major UK institutions such as Tate Modern, Somerset House, Barbican Centre and the British Film Institute. The exhibition opens with a public reception on 30 July 2025, from 4.00pm to 8.00pm, featuring the Artist Panel Discussion from 6.00pm to 7.00pm, and will remain on view until 8 August 2025. Daily viewing hours are 10.00am to 4.00pm (closed Saturdays) at PNCA, Islamabad. Organised in partnership with the Lahore Digital Arts Festival and PNCA, this cross-cultural showcase offers audiences a chance to engage with boundary-pushing work at the intersection of art, technology and social commentary.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Express Tribune
'The Summer I Turned Pretty' Season 3: Jeremiah's engagement ring for Belly goes viral on the internet
The Summer I Turned Pretty's final season has reached an emotional high point in Episode 3, but fans are focusing on one detail—Belly's engagement ring from Jeremiah. After proposing without a ring in Episode 2, Jeremiah tries again in a more traditional fashion, on one knee in his fraternity house bedroom. Belly accepts the ring and calls it perfect, but viewers were less convinced. Social media was quick to weigh in with jokes on the ring's appearance or lack thereof. LMAOSKSOJSODJD BELLY SHOWING OFF A NONEXISTENT RING — yara- tsitp s3 spoilers (@rainingnaley) July 23, 2025 conrad wondering why tf she's holding 5 fingers up — 💋 tsitp spoilers (@b8nrad) July 23, 2025 LMAOOOOOO THIS IS SO UNSERIOUS😭😭😭 — lilly💌 tsitp spoilers (@summerssfault) July 23, 2025 me every time belly pulled out that so-called ring #tsitp — cristal🫧 (@niazscripted) July 23, 2025 Even Belly's best friend Taylor mocks it in the show, asking, 'Is it a diamond or, like, a sliver of tinfoil?' The ring in question is the Diamond Fizz Ring by Brooklyn-based jeweller Catbird. It features a 3mm-round, .089-carat brilliant-cut recycled white diamond set in a 14K recycled yellow gold band. Though petite, the design stays faithful to the original book, which describes it as 'a silver ring with a little diamond in the center.' It's also a personal purchase—Jeremiah proudly tells Belly's family he bought it with his own money. Despite the backlash, some fans see the understated ring as a sweet, character-fitting choice for Belly. Still, many are questioning the suddenness of the engagement, especially after Jeremiah admitted to cheating earlier in the season. With Conrad's unresolved feelings still looming and Belly's future plans unfolding, the drama is far from over.
