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What is the controversy surrounding Ollie Williams? Love Island star attracts 231 OfCom complaints
13 January 2020, 20:00 | Updated: 15 January 2020, 11:00
Love Island attracted 231 OfCom complaints about the inclusion of Ollie Williams as a contestant.
The first ever winter series of Love Island kicked off last night, with a fresh batch of singletons descending on the brand-new South African villa in the hope of finding their soulmate and scooping that £50,000 prize.
After a tense first coupling, Connor Durman and Sophie Piper, Shaughna Phillips and Callum Jones, Nas Majeed and Siannise Fudge, Paige Turley and Ollie Williams, and Mike Boateng and Leanne Amaning became the first Love Island 2020 couples.
Ollie, an heir and landowner from Cornwall, suffered a setback when no-one stepped forward for him, but he ended up choosing Paige Turley.
The 23-year-old has proved a controversial addition to the Love Island line-up, as photos have emerged of him seemingly 'trophy hunting' before the show began.
In response, angry viewers have set up a petition to get him removed from the show - which has so far gained 11,000 signatures.
A message posted with the petition reads: "Ollie Williams who is due to enter Winter Love Island has been exposed as a bloodthirsty big trophy hunter.
"He has proudly posed with an array of dead endangered animals including warthog and water buffalos among other animals he killed in Africa in order to promote his hunting business, Cornish Sporting Agency.
"The disgusting photos were posted on an Instagram account that was deleted before it was announced that Ollie would be one of the contestants joining the winter series of Love Island in South Africa."
However, friends of the Love Island star have since hit back at reports that Ollie is in to bloodsports, saying that he only takes part in conservationist hunting.
They told the Mirror: "Ollie is a passionate conservationist and worked with an anti-poaching unit in Mozambique.
"Conservation is crucial to the survival of animals and as part of that work Ollie was involved in the culling of sick animals who were a threat to the health of the herd.
"There is a very big and important difference between trophy hunting and the conversation work Ollie has previously been involved in.
"At no point has Ollie organised or booked anybody to go to Africa to shoot game."
