On August 22 Laura Whitmore announced she was stepping down as the presenter of Love Island and it's spin-off show After Sun. As the face of nation's most loved but controversial dating show, all eyes have been on her. Originally she was only stepping in to fill in for Caroline [Flack]for a series.' But after Caroline's tragic death in 2020 - this turned into a three year whirlwind stint.
In her Instagram statement he announced she was departing to focus on other projects. 'Some news! I won’t be hosting the next series of Love Island," she said in a statement as she announced her departure, 'There are certain elements of the show I’ve found very difficult that cannot be changed some due to the format, including the flying back and forth to South Africa along with my new conflicting projects.' She continued, 'I wish it was still possible but know you’ll be in safe hands. I was only planning to fill in for Caroline for a series and it turned into 3 series. Laura added in her emotional farewell post, 'I hope I did you proud Caroline.'
Now Laura is free to speak openly about all the speculation surrounding show. In her first tell all interview with the Sunday Times she revealed she couldn't check in with the Islanders about their mental health during their time in the villa. She revealed, 'I hate having anything I’m not allowed to say, I couldn't ask Love Islanders if they were OK.' The presenter added, 'It is hard. Your face is the front of the show but I am one tiny person and have no producing role so I couldn't say if I didn't think something was OK.'
During an interview with The Mirror she reflected on the past series. 'Love Island is a show that I love to watch, and I always want to work on shows that I enjoy. But there’s nothing more that I can do with it. There are parameters. When you work on the show, you can’t really talk about certain things. But I’m really proud of what I did, and proud to leave on what I think has been a brilliant series, with great winners.'
She also spoke about the controversy surrounding the hit dating show. This year Ofcom received 7,500 official complaints, numerous statements from women's charities and allegations of misogyny and bullying. She said, 'If your child is watching, maybe you should watch it with them and have a conversation. A friend watched with her daughter and told her that it is not OK to say certain things.'
Laura revealed that although she had to remain impartial on the show privately she did have her own thoughts. She said, 'I question things a lot, even if I don't do it publicly, people would rather I didn't. It's difficult doing that when you work on the show.'
How much did Laura Whitmore earn hosting Love Island?
According to a report in the Sun, Laura Whitmore was reportedly paid £600,000 for hosting the last season of Love Island. Viewers of the show worked out that her salary translates to £50k per minute of on-screen time, but Whitmore addressed those figures via Instagram and TikTok. 'I bloody wish I earned what was written in the press,' she jokingly told fans. 'I only get paid on days I work.' She also commented, 'Ian [Stirling] has never had attention on how much money he earns. Why don't we like women earning money?'
The public's opinion on her 'lack of screen time'
Also clapping back at viewers in he same video who questioned her lack of screen time last season, Whitmore pointed out needing to isolate ahead of each Mallorca appearance due to lockdown rules, and a fair bit of flying back and forth being involved since the show’s After Sun studios are based back in the UK. She also revealed that she offsets her travel carbon footprint as part of her Love Island contract.
She also tapped into some views that she's 'boring' and 'dosen't ask more juicy questions' during the interviews to the dumped islanders. She replied, 'If i wasn't on hosting duties with time limits, I'd love full on banter but I can't. I need to stay as impartial as possible and trust the process.'
What is Laura Whitmore doing next?
As a self confessed 'workaholic' Laura already has a lot planned. Fans will still be able to see Laura in various projects including a true crime podcast with her husband comedian Iain Stirling. Laura also announced she will be joining the 2:22 A Ghost Story cast in London's West End and hinted at her own documentary series 'Laura Whitmore Investigates".