Former Love Island contestant Sharon Gaffka says "a lot of candid" conversations about race in the villa were cut from the show.

Speaking to Insider, Sharon said: "I do remember one part of the show that never got aired was Kaz and I sat on swings with some of the lads and explained how hard it is to date in modern dating and using dating apps as an ethnic minority woman."

She continued, "Kaz and I come from those ethnicities that are very hyper-sexualized in modern dating."

"Actually it would have done a lot of good [to air the discussion] because I feel like a lot of women who are from different races do have the same problems," she added, "for me especially I was wondering, 'Am I singled out in this? Am I alone in this? Has anyone else experienced the same thing as me or am I being targeted?'"

Love Island has come under fire in recent years over its lack of diversity, with both viewers, contestants and critics calling the show out on multiple occasions.

During her interview, Sharon admitted she "struggled" to find love in the villa due to the "lack of diversity."

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"The producers are meant to match people," she said "with Hugo [Hammond], his type is blonde and there were lots of blonde girls in the villa but whose type was I? Why was I brought in here? Who was I supposed to be? Or was I just somebody's space to fill? I did feel like that at times."

She continued "I think it made my time in the villa a lot harder to form an actual connection with somebody."

But it's not the first time Sharon's called the show out over unaired scenes. Just a few days ago she revealed she came out about her sexuality while in the villa, but that the clips didn't make it to air.

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Jade Biggs
Freelance Writer
Jade Biggs (she/her) is one of Cosmopolitan UK's freelance writers, working across all sections including entertainment, beauty, body, and sex and relationships. She previously held the position of Features Writer, covering everything from breaking news and the latest royal gossip, to the health and fitness trends taking over your TikTok feed. Jade has a degree in journalism and has been a journalist and content editor for ten years, interviewing leading researchers, high-profile influencers, and industry experts in that time. She is a cat mom to four fur babies and is obsessed with Drag Race, bottomless brunches, and wearing clothes only suitable for Bratz dolls. Follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.