Love Island contestant Priya Jaswal has issued a public apology to co-star Elicia Bailey after her remarks mocking Bailey's job with National Rail sparked widespread criticism. The incident, which occurred last week, led to accusations of 'job-shaming' and prompted a response from the train operator Trainline.
Priya, 25, who works as a business development manager, addressed the comments on the Love Island spin-off show, Aftersun, stating, "Firstly I want to publicly apologise to Elicia because I think that comment was completely out of line, a catty comment." She explained that the confined environment of the villa and heightened emotions contributed to her outburst, adding, "It was very out of character for me and I obviously said 'go back to the national rail' and I do regret that."
The controversy began when Bailey called Priya the "the biggest game player" in the villa. In response, Priya directed a rant at Bailey, saying, "Go back to the National Rail. Elicia, you work for the National Rail, why are you f***ing sitting in Aftersun?... But just go back there and save your breath." Other Islanders reacted with amusement, which further fueled viewer outrage.
Viewers took to social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) to express their disapproval, with many calling Priya's comments "vile, classist and tone deaf." Some users jokingly suggested Priya might face a lifetime ban from National Rail.
During the Aftersun segment addressing the comments, host Maya Jama attempted to de-escalate the situation by saying, "Ok, big up the National Rail, we can leave it there." Fellow Islander Aidan Murphy also commented, "We all use it as well! What would we do without the National Rail?"
The job-shaming incident resurfaced when Bailey returned to the villa with other eliminated contestants to discuss the remaining couples. Bailey directly addressed the comments, stating, "There was a comment that was made publicly that was job-shaming myself. I didn't really agree with it, and Mica I saw that you laughed during that conversation." Mica apologized, explaining her laughter was out of disbelief rather than agreement.
Bailey had previously expressed her disappointment with Priya's comments, noting on the Love Island Debrief program that remarks about her job were "crazy." She emphasized that she was proud of her work as a team organizer for National Rail, where she is estimated to earn around £30,000 annually, compared to Priya's estimated £43,000 business development manager salary.
Priya and Aidan were voted off the show prior to the Aftersun apology. The controversy surrounding Priya's remarks occurred amid a period where Love Island had already garnered significant attention from the UK's broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, with hundreds of complaints lodged over various episodes concerning themes of alleged "women-hating" and contestant treatment.