Kaz Kamwi has weighed in on the growing controversy surrounding Married At First Sight UK, backing contestants who have spoken out about their experiences.
The 31-year-old Love Island star said she was saddened by allegations made by former MAFS participants and believes television production companies have a responsibility to ensure contestants are properly supported throughout filming.
Speaking exclusively to GB News, Ms Kamwi said: “Production have a duty of care.
“The TV company have a duty of care, welfare have a duty of care.”
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Her comments come after widespread debate over reality TV welfare standards, sparked by claims from former MAFS contestants, some of whom have criticised the support they received while taking part in the Channel 4 dating experiment.
Reflecting on the controversy, Ms Kamwi said: “I think the situation with MAFS is really sad.
“I think it’s actually quite awful.”
The Love Island favourite, who was speaking on behalf of BestBettingSites.co.uk, the leading comparison site for online casinos, praised those who had spoken publicly about their experiences and said sharing such stories could help improve standards across the industry.
Ms Kamwi gained widespread fame as a finalist on Season 7 of Love Island in 2021
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“I think everyone who’s spoken out about their experiences is really very brave, and I’m glad they did,” she said.
The influencer suggested some contestants may have been let down by those responsible for their wellbeing during production.
“I think a lot of the contestants, it sounds like a lot of them have been failed, in my opinion.
“I think they’re failed by the welfare team. I think they’re failed by production.”
The TV star returned for Love Island All Stars
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The ITV star contrasted those claims with her own experience on Love Island, where she appeared in 2021 before later returning for the All Stars series.
Asked whether she had ever felt producers failed to put contestants’ welfare first, Ms Kamwi said: “No, I think producers did a really good job.
“If anything, I never got sent to the therapist a time or two without me even asking for it, just because I was having a rubbish day.”
The TV star explained that support was readily available throughout filming and that welfare staff often proactively checked on contestants.
She also revealed that she received therapy after leaving the programme and that she believes ITV’s aftercare offering has improved significantly in recent years.
“I think it’s been really good,” she said.
“The welfare was really good then. And then when I did All Stars as well, again, welfare was really good.”
The reality star added that she continued accessing support for as long as she felt she needed it before eventually deciding she was ready to move on.
Kaz Kamwi revealed that she received therapy after appearing on Love Island
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“I did the therapy for as long as I felt like I needed it, and then I was like, ‘I think I’m fine’.”
Ms Kamwi said her positive experience meant she would not hesitate to take part in the show again.
“I would do the show again, if that makes sense, because I didn’t feel like I wasn’t listened to,” she said.
“There were obviously things where I’d be like, ‘Can you do this better?’, but that’s just life, isn’t it?”