Love Island women under 'intolerable pressure' to have sex on the show, ex-contestant claims

An ITV spokesperson says the show does not put the contestants under any pressure

Women on the show are 'under pressure' to have sex, an ex-contestant has claimed (ITV)

The women contestants on Love Island are made to feel under pressure to have sex in order to get more screen time, a former ­contestant has claimed.

So far in this series, two couples have been filmed having sex on the ITV reality show.

The show, which is presented by Caroline Flack, sees 12 single members of the public "pair up" with one another at a luxury villa on an island.

It has proven to be a ratings hit this season, with up to two million viewers tuning in per episode, but it seems as though some of the contestants feel like they need to put on a show for the cameras.

An ex-contestant told The Mirror: "There are condoms everywhere in the house and many of the girls feel under intolerable pressure to have sex.

“It’s not as if [the condoms] are discretely placed. They are blatantly in the open. The message some of the girls take from it is clear – we want you to have sex."

Marcel Somerville and Gabby Allen on the show (ITV)

An ITV spokesperson denied the claim and said that the islanders are "not put under any pressure to be intimate with one another".

However, the pressure may come from the prospect of what's on offer after the show, rather than the producers.

The insider explained: "Many are offering lucrative brand endorsements, book deals, fashion ranges. The earning potential is endless.

"Many of the girls feel that if they have sex, they get more airtime and therefore are a more attractive proposition to the celebrity agents. The whole thing is really tawdry."

Host Caroline Flack said before this series began: “Can they have more sex? There can always be more sex," but added: "We only show sex... if it’s relative to the storyline. It’s not gratuitous."

Dom Lever and Jess Shears were one of the couples who had sex on the show this series. Marcel Somerville and Gabby Allen were also seen getting steamy during one of the scenes.

Miss Great Britain winner Zara Holland was stripped of her crown after having sex on the show last year.

In another scene a couple were seen being intimate on a bed in plain view of the other contestants, some of whom looked shocked, and others who watched and cheered.