Love Island Star Removed After Stabbing Allegations Surface

Love Island producers removed contestant Gabriel Garland from the villa hours before his scheduled appearance after being alerted to his alleged involvement in a New Year's Eve stabbing. Garland, who was set to enter as a Casa Amor bombshell, was axed due to "a situation in his past."

Reports indicate that ITV was made aware of Garland's name appearing in court documents related to the 2019 conviction of Vitor Mazzer. Mazzer was found guilty of two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent following an incident at a London party on New Year's Eve. According to court documents, Garland was present at the party with Mazzer, and two victims reportedly had an altercation with Garland before Mazzer inflicted the stab wounds.

Garland, who was 17 at the time of the incident, had his mother, Joanne Garland, provide a character statement in court. The Sun reported that Garland himself was not charged with any offense and that the court judgment made no finding of wrongdoing against him. Mazzer was sentenced to 42 months in prison, and his appeal against the conviction was denied in April 2024.

A representative for ITV confirmed to the Daily Mail that "Gabriel has now left the Villa and will not be returning." His arrival at Casa Amor was still broadcast on Sunday night's episode. It had previously been reported that his removal was due to an undisclosed past incident that was not identified during official background checks. Fan comments on the show's official Instagram account, such as "Love Island gotta fix up their background checks," have been linked to Garland's sudden departure.

This incident follows the reported axing of another contestant, George Knight, who was allegedly removed for using an offensive slur. ITV initially stated Knight left for "private reasons," with Knight himself claiming he quit due to a family health concern. Sources, however, suggest Knight was formally warned for "unacceptable language" before his departure. ITV has stated they have a duty of care and will not comment further on Knight's situation.