by Thinus Ferreira
LottoStar has abruptly dumped M-Net's controversial Love Island
South Africa as its main sponsor with the gambling outfit that wants to get
away as fast as possible from the brand and reputation damage it has suffered
due to its proximity to the badly-produced ITV Studios format reality series.
In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, the LottoStar director Tasoulla Hadjigeorgiou says
that "LottoStar has taken the decision to respectfully withdraw its
sponsorship of Love Island SA. We wish the show and its contestants every
success".
LottoStar is also the sponsor of The Bachelorette South Africa,
also produced by the same production company Rapid Blue and also broadcast on
M-Net (DStv 101).
A LottoStar spokesperson didn't want to elaborate and say why
it has abruptly cancelled its sponsorship, or when it first became aware
of the firestorm that had engulfed Love Island SA.
Love Island SA that is in full crisis mode following widespread
criticism, is losing the show's main sponsor after Sunday night's disastrous
and jarring premiere on M-Net (DStv 101) of the South Africa adaptation of the
buzzy ITV Studios format that was a technical TV flop.
Very serious questions were raised over the lack of diverse
casting in the show, while DStv subscribers and TV critics also called out the
poor Love Island SA production values – ranging from sound and
editing to the music, the voice-over narration, cinematography as well as the
uninspiring bungalow vineyard-set dormitory that the show calls a villa.
MultiChoice and M-Net didn't respond to specific questions posed
about the show's production on Monday but issued a terse statement saying on
Monday evening saying that “We pride ourselves in reflecting diversity and
inclusion for all our shows, including Love Island".
On Tuesday M-Net didn't immediately respond to a media enquiry
about LottoStar axing its sponsorship but comment will be added here if
received.
MultiChoice and M-Net haven't made the much-derided debut episode
of Love Island SA available on its DStv Catch Up service but added Monday night’s
second episode – also containing mistakes – on Tuesday morning.
By Tuesday afternoon episode 2 of Love Island SA was also abruptly removed without explanation from DStv Catch Up after it was added on Tuesday morning.
MultiChoice was asked about the episode's removal - likely to do with the fact that it contains LottoStar banners and advertising - and for comment on the ongoing mistakes and technical issues that were present in Monday night's episode as well, and why these occured. Comment will be added here if received.
Meanwhile, international reports about Love Island
SA ranging from the BBC to CNN and in multiple foreign newspapers on Monday continue to inflict
damage on the entirety of South Africa's struggling film and TV industry.
While ongoing questions are swirling about the show's look and its
low production values South African TV producers have been calling Love Island
SA "a dumpster fire".
Producers say that the show's bad quality is damaging the
reputation of the country's whole TV industry and that while they're still
battling the impact of Covid-19, that Love Island SA is inflicting
collective damage on the industry and that Rapid Blue needs to do better since
it's hurting the country's international credibility to make international
series.
ALSO READ: TV REVIEW. M-Net’s botched and poorly produced Love Island South Africa is unacceptably bad.
