LONDON, England — Love Island contestant Gabriel Garland has been removed from the ITV dating series after producers became aware of his connection to a historical criminal case involving a stabbing that occurred at a New Year’s Eve party in southeast London. The decision came shortly after Garland was introduced as one of this season’s Casa Amor contestants, sparking widespread discussion about ITV’s contestant vetting procedures.
According to reports, Garland, 24, was filmed entering Casa Amor before ITV executives were alerted to court documents relating to a violent incident that took place on New Year’s Eve 2019. Although the episodes had already been recorded, the broadcaster decided to remove him from the programme before filming progressed further. Because of the production schedule, viewers will still see Garland appear in episodes that were filmed prior to his removal.
The incident at the center of the controversy occurred during a house party on Casewick Road in southeast London. Court records state that Garland attended the gathering alongside Vitor Mazzer, who was later convicted of two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent after stabbing two men during the altercation. Investigators alleged that an argument involving Garland took place before Mazzer carried out the attack. However, Garland himself was never charged with any criminal offence, and the court judgment made no finding that he committed any wrongdoing. Mazzer was subsequently sentenced to prison, and his appeal against the conviction was dismissed in 2024.
Reports indicate that ITV’s background screening process did not identify the case because Garland had no criminal conviction connected to the incident. Following his introduction as a Casa Amor contestant, social media users began questioning the broadcaster’s vetting procedures after details from the court proceedings resurfaced online. Once ITV became aware of the matter, executives chose to remove Garland from the villa.
In a brief statement, ITV confirmed Garland’s departure, saying: “Gabriel has now left the villa and will not be returning. We will not be commenting further out of a duty of care towards participants.” The broadcaster has not announced plans to replace him, meaning Casa Amor will continue with one fewer male contestant than originally planned.
Garland’s exit marks the second unexpected departure from this season of Love Island. Earlier in the series, contestant George Knight also left the programme under unusual circumstances, contributing to what has become an eventful season behind the scenes.
The incident has generated significant online debate, with many viewers discussing ITV’s safeguarding and background-checking procedures. While some questioned why Garland was initially cast, others emphasized that he was not accused, charged, or convicted in relation to the stabbing itself, highlighting the distinction between being present during a criminal incident and being found legally responsible for it.
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