Laura Whitmore says she left Love Island because she ‘couldn’t support’ contestants

The Irish host announced that she was leaving the hit ITV dating show back in August after two years, admitting she found “certain elements of the show” to be “very difficult”.

It has since been revealed that Maya Jama will take over the role from Laura for the upcoming winter series of Love Island, which is due to air early next year.

Speaking to Psychologies Magazine, Laura said that she loved working on Love Island, but she struggled with the impartial nature of hosting duties, especially when it came to supporting contestants on the show.

“There was only so much I can do as a host – I couldn’t support them or not support them. I couldn’t say anything,” she said.

“So you kind of have to go quiet, and that was hard for me because I like to be able to have those conversations.

“If I could [have done] things the way I wanted to, I’d probably still be doing it.”

The mum-of-one previously told The Sunday Times that there were times when she would have liked to check up on Islanders.

“When they were in the villa, sometimes I wanted to ask if they were OK and couldn’t. But I wouldn’t have done anything differently.”

Laura also admitted that she finds it “difficult” not to comment on the many controversies that roll around each year on the show.

“It is hard,” she confessed.

“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.

“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.”

“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.”