Shamed Love Island star Sherif Lanre has claimed, as a black male contestant, he was given less air time on the ITV2 show, and treated more harshly than his female co-stars, before being removed from it.
The 20-year-old was sent home from the reality series last week under mysterious circumstances, later revealing he had accidentally kicked fellow contestant Molly-Mae Hague in the groin and joked that it was a ‘c*** punt’ afterwards.
Appearing on The Victoria Derbyshire Show on Monday, he told the programme’s host: ‘I’m not going to point fingers… but the airtime [black people received] was disproportionate to our value in the villa.
Shamed: Love Island star Sherif Lanre has claimed, as a black male contestant, he was given less air time on the ITV2 show, and treated more harshly than his female co-stars
‘Statistically we get less air time. I know [the producers] have a duty to edit and give the viewers what they want. But I think the race thing is more to do with the people in charge finding people who want to be with people of colour.’
When he was read a statement from ITV refuting any racial prejudice, Sherif added: ‘I’m not shocked in the slightest.’
He went on to add: ‘There’s less of a rope for men than women.
‘I mean, my bum was slapped in there. I don’t mind it, but if a guy did that to a girl then people would have had more of a problem.’
Unfair dismissal? The 20-year-old was sent home from the reality series last week under mysterious circumstances, later revealing he had accidentally kicked fellow contestant Molly-Mae Hague in the groin, joking that it was a ‘c*** punt’ afterwards
He went on to add: ‘There’s less of a rope for men than women. I mean, my bum was slapped in there. I don’t mind it, but if a guy did that to a girl then people would have had more of a problem’
Journalist Victoria also brought up the fact that last year’s contestant Ellie Brown used the C word, but was not removed.
‘Ellie wasn’t kicked out and I think there’s this whole thing which is like an unconscious bias – different rules for boys, girls, races.
‘What Ellie said was more malicious towards someone while mine was just a joke.’
Asked whether he had a disrespect towards women, the brief reality personality said: ‘It’s quite the opposite. I have a good relationship with female friends, and I was raised by a strong and loving mother who brought me up to respect women.
‘I was just mucking about with Molly-Mae and it was blown out of proportion. I used some crude language, accidentally, and in hindsight it’s not something you should go on a show and say or do.
The truth is out: Sherif explained he was booted from the Mallorcan villa after kicking Molly-Mae in a sensitive region, adding that she appeared to be in pain at first but soon laughed it off
‘It was more the joking after, making it a lot less of thing than it was. Molly-Mae was not in pain, she was uninjured, and I left the villa on good terms with her.’
He also revealed he was not given the chance to say goodbye, or to explain himself to his partner, Anna Vakili, why he was leaving.
‘I am upset about the way the exit was handled. I didn’t get to say goodbye or pack my bag. I couldn’t tell Anna why I was removed.’
Sherif’s appearance comes after the chef previously asserted that the show’s bosses had ‘double standards’ after they allegedly let a fellow islander constantly use the N-word in front of him, without being reprimanded.
Speaking in an interview with The Sun following his villa exit, Sherif explained: ‘There was one guy, who I will not name, who repeatedly used the N-word as he rapped in front of me.
‘He said it two or three times and he was not pulled aside even though the code forbids racist language.’
He added that he felt the ‘same rules’ didn’t apply to the rest of the contestants.
According to the publication, the song in question was Over My Dead Body by the rapper Drake, which features the offensive terminology on several occasions.
Not right: It comes as the chef accused show bosses of ‘double standards’ after they let a fellow islander constantly use the N-word in front of him, without being reprimanded
It is said that one islander flagged the situation at the time, but no further action was taken.
A source revealed to The Sun: ‘Sherif was not particularly offended by it, as the person in question was just singing a song, but someone else clearly was.
‘But Sherif was left feeling like there were double standards given his swift removal after his comments.
However, Love Island bosses are adamant that the N-word wasn’t said in the house and that there is no evidence of the incident.
Shock: Sherif explained: ‘There was one guy, who I will not name, who repeatedly used the N-word as he rapped in front of me’
Double standards: ‘He said it two or three times and he was not pulled aside even though the code forbids racist language’
A show spokesperson told the publication: ‘We monitor the islanders 24/7 and we have no recording of the use of this offensive language.
‘And, at no point, does anyone use that offensive language in rap lyrics or any other time. We do have clear rules on the use of language in the villa.’
MailOnline have contacted representatives from Love Island for comment.
It comes as Sherif revealed the real reason he was axed to leave the villa amid a tidal wave of speculation.
Sherif explained he was booted from the Mallorcan villa after kicking Molly-Mae in a sensitive region.
He explained that the Instagrammer, 19, appeared to be in pain at first but soon laughed it off, with Sherif then turning to Tommy Fury and joked: ‘That was a c*** punt.’
Vile remark: Admitting that while he checked to see if she was OK, he turned and joked to Tommy: ‘‘That’s a c*** punt’
Remarks: After getting removed from the ITV2 reality show on Tuesday, Sherif also explained that after kicking her, he turned to Tommy Fury and joked: ‘That was a c*** punt’
Speaking to The Sun, Sherif revealed: ‘I did kick Molly-Mae in the groin area but it was an accident and she 100 per cent was not injured afterwards. She did appear to be in pain at first but then she stood up and seemed fine and we started laughing about it.’
Explaining the sequence of events in further detail, Sherif stated that he and Tommy went to brush their teeth before bed and were met by Molly in the bathroom.
Sherif revealed that he and Molly began play fighting and ‘acting out karate moves’ – but inevitably his ‘toes crashed into her groin and she crouched over in a defensive position.’
Admitting that while he checked to see if she was OK, he turned and joked to Tommy: ‘‘That’s a c*** punt.’
Confessing that he didn’t think anything was wrong, Sherif noted that they all continued laughing and joking following the accidental kick, and ‘he didn’t feel the need to apologise for his remark.’
Sherif claimed ITV producers woke him up two hours before everyone else, they dragged him down to the Beach Hut and then interrogated him over what had happened.
Explanation: Sherif stated that he and Tommy went to brush their teeth before bed and were met by Molly in the bathroom where they began play fighting
Details: Sherif admitted that while he and Molly ‘were acting out karate moves his ‘toes crashed into her groin and she crouched over in a defensive position’
Noting that the whole interrogation looked worse that what had actually happened, he revealed he was sent home ‘without a change to say goodbye or pack my bags.’
Speaking about his ‘c**t-punt’ joke, Sherif expressed complete remorse and admitted he had never actually used the saying before and that it had ‘just popped out.’
The ITV2 series rakes in an estimated £25million a year in advertising revenue, including a sponsorship deal with high-street health and beauty retailer Superdrug.
But The Sun claim bosses are fearful of the fiscal impact Sherif’s transgression might have on the show, with the reason being carefully held back to avoid any potential loss of earnings.
It’s understood that executives have demanded a wall of silence regarding his exit, with security drafted in to prevent family members speaking publicly.
Silenced: It’s understood that executives have demanded a wall of silence regarding his exit, with security drafted in to prevent family members speaking publicly
The chef took to Instagram Stories on Wednesday, a day after the initial news broke, thanking his fans for their support.
The post came as fans continued to ask show bosses why he had to leave the show without explanation, saying the ‘rumours could be worse than the truth.’
He wrote on Instagram: ‘Thank you to everyone including my friends and family for the support I’ve come back to.
‘I appreciate you all and hope I provided some good, positive moments during my time on Love Island and for anyone wondering I’m all good.’
Sherif also hashtagged the popular Islander saying, ‘it is what it is’, along with a crying-with-laughter emoji.
It has also been revealed that the ex-Islander was being guarded by 24 hours security following his return to the UK after his ejection.
Hot on the heels of the boosted after-care, ITV bosses told MailOnline: ‘Security is provided to assist families as part of our duty of care’.
In his interview, he also said his exit ‘ruined’ his romance with Anna, explaining: ‘Our relationship was just reaching a key moment when I was kicked out. I hope to see Anna again but for now they’ve ruined that romance for me — and that’s hard to take.’
Hard to take: ‘Our relationship was just reaching a key moment when I was kicked out. I hope to see Anna again but for now they’ve ruined that romance for me’