Love Island USA took drastic action. Contestant Yulissa Escobar was immediately kicked out of the show. Why? She used a racist slur in an old podcast. After TMZ exposed the video, production company ITV America quickly woke up. In the second episode, only four words were said: “Yulissa Escobar left Villa.”
Other networks’ ‘slow action’ problem
But this is not the first case. In 2023, Erica Mena from Love & Hip Hop was fired for making racist comments. But VH1 took days to respond. Fans were furious. The reason? People react in real-time on social media! Even in 2020, Luke Valentine was fired from the Big Brother show for using the N-word.
Peacock’s superfast decision
This time Peacock Streaming removed Ulisa in just 48 hours. Why is this important? Because 30% of Peacock’s users are aged 25-34. These people expect an instant response to racism. The great thing is that Peacock is now partnering with Group Black to create Black-led content.
‘Major support’ from fans
The reaction from fans on social media came quickly:
- Kristin McGhee tweets: “My friend will download the app and vote Ulisa out!”
- Jayla says: “I will kick her out immediately when voting starts!”
Experts say: Fans influence 65% of reality show decisions!
Ulisa’s ‘no support’ problem
No one was seen defending Ulisa. Because she is a Donald Trump supporter. This was something fans knew long ago. So this scandal was the final piece to break Camel’s back. Alex tweets: “Does Yulissa Escobar think North America is out to get her?”
Why is the show’s ‘fun’ mood still there?
Love Island’s mood is sexy beach fun. Yulissa Escobar will soon be replaced by 22-year-old S Green. Because 6 more bikini girls are ready in the villa! Fans are hoping the dating drama will return soon.
Note: This incident shows how social media pressure now works on TV networks. But one question: Why did recordings of Yulissa Escobar‘ old podcast just come out? 🤔 Could this be ‘timed exposure’?
