Why Samira Mighty's cut Love Island scenes are actually really important

Many think fans weren't given a chance to become invested.

Samira Mighty, Love Island 2018, Day 22
ITV

Samira Mighty was the first woman to enter the Love Island villa, but she became one of the last women in the series to find love.

As numerous male contestants, complete with chiseled chests, went in and came out over the past month, Samira has been dealt with blow after blow at being told that she wasn't their type (on paper, or anywhere else).

ITV

Related: Love Island's Alex Miller reveals real reason Samira Mighty's relationship with Frankie Foster didn't get much air time

Her breakdown was all too familiar to me and other black women as, when it comes to the world of dating, research shows that black women are less likely to receive responses on match-making apps.

She had the backing of viewers, all of them cheering for her to find her man. So when Samira finally found herself in a happy couple with Frankie Foster, it would be fair to assume that producers would be falling over themselves to show fans that Samira had finally found her Prince Charming.

ITV

However, following Samira's departure, it has come to light that the ITV2 show actually failed to air scenes which showed how close Frankie and Samira had become – including a night they spent together in the hideaway.

This decision might be viewed as a simple oversight to some, however to others it almost feels intentional. We often saw Samira as Megan Barton Hanson's shoulder to cry on or Dr Alex George's go-to girl for relationship advice. This harps back to the stereotypical depiction of black women in both TV and film, historically playing the role of the reliable best friend to their white counterparts. It seems as though Love Island, whether consciously or not, followed this formula.

ITV

Some may argue that we have been shown Wes Nelson and Josh Denzel's time in the hideaway, with their partners Megan and Kazimir Crossley. So it can't have anything to do with race, right?

It isn't quite an issue of racism, but it does raise the issue of misogynoir – the combined prejudice of sexism and racism that affects black women. Did Love Island producers limit Samira's time on screen because she didn't fit the physical profile of the usual female love interest we see on TV?

It's true that there's been widespread discussion about the lack of diversity in this year's line-up throughout the series.

Samira's experience might not be an isolated one. Just this morning, Crazyhead actress Susan Wokoma revealed through a series of tweets that she entered a reality show in her teenage years and – like her fellow castmates – she formed friendships, completed tasks and missed her family. Yet none of that was shown.

Instead, she claims in her Twitter thread, the reality show focused on her white female counterparts and how attractive the boys found them.

The problem with the cutting of crucial scenes surrounding Samira is that it illustrates how TV shows can get racial diversity wrong.

Love Island said in a statement to Digital Spy: "As we have said before, it is not possible to show everything that happens in the villa due to time constraints. There are a number of couples whose time in the Hideaway has not been shown.

"It is always our intention to produce a show that is a fair and accurate representation of life in the villa."

In fairness, there have been a number of instances whereby a freshly-dumped islander has revealed something that went down in the villa that we didn't get to see – we are only given an hour-long episode, after all. In fact, one of the biggest talking points of the series to date surrounded Niall Aslam's big exit, and this didn't play out on our screens at all.

We clearly need people of colour on our screens, reflecting our multicultural society. But these individuals need adequate airtime so that the public can form a real connection with them – just as we have formed connections with the Danis, Megans and Lauras that also went into the villa looking for love.


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