[imagesource: Twitter / @MaddyKaren]

International media coverage for all the wrong reasons, sound editing that appears to have been done by the interns, poor production value, sponsors pulling out, and a social media backlash that spiralled into the hashtag #LoveIslandOrania.

However you spin it, everything about Love Island SA has been a complete and total trainwreck since the first episode aired on Sunday night.

Consider that within days of airing, CNN, The Guardian, and the BBC had run stories on the lack of diversity in the casting.

Out of the first 10 contestants, just two were Black, and two were coloured.

During that Sunday night premiere, and in the days that followed, Twitter got to work with the takedowns. Here are some of the classics:

“Time to meet our sexy singles”

The singles:#LoveIslandSA pic.twitter.com/jHUQVHAd5l

— Masole Moerane (@SoleTheDJ) February 28, 2021

If you wanted to do Love Island Orania, just say that, man. https://t.co/8OPcbRIQQG

— Kovie Biakolo (@koviebiakolo) February 28, 2021

M-Net might as well update its #LoveIslandSA graphics to reflect this Love Island Orania trend. pic.twitter.com/wm8UJwVgSm

— ブランドン IG: ilikebrandon (@i_likebrandon) March 1, 2021

Hey @MNet you could have called it Lief Eiland then. #LoveIslandSA

— Sylvester Chauke (@sylvesterchauke) February 28, 2021

They could have just aired this, on SABC 2 after 7 de laan #LoveIslandSA pic.twitter.com/9Lauk04BGK

— Bianca_M (@Miecah_M) February 28, 2021

they literally went to virgin active & said “you, you & you.. come with me” mxm #LoveIslandSA

— ’ (@lindoparis) February 28, 2021

Let’s meet our male contestants for #LoveIslandSA Our “sexy singles”: pic.twitter.com/MtLu6gqJXc

— @team_dan (@DanDaggerDick) February 28, 2021

How does @loveislandsa_ only have two black people on the show when South Africa is 80% black? Are you actually mad? The lack of diversity is absolutely astonishing. Your age mates are doing much better. Correct yourself. #LoveIslandSA

— Murad Merali (@MuradMerali) February 28, 2021

I’m sorry but then spelling Thimna’s name wrong sums up the whole episode #LoveIslandSA pic.twitter.com/buNJ1OYnxE

— chapo’s princess (@lubby_zote) February 28, 2021

Yeah, you get the drift:

Before we get to the sound and editing issues, some housekeeping for those who haven’t seen anything yet.

There’s a tour of the villa:

And then there are the couples pairing up, so you can get a sense of who’s who:

You weren’t the only one that noticed:

White people with White people
Coloureds with Coloureds
Black people with Black people

YAY RAINBOW NATION! #LoveIslandSA

— Harper (@WayneH__) February 28, 2021

As for the sound editing…

how it felt watching #LoveIslandSA pic.twitter.com/GHf3JoyQit

— Delena (@tumelomagomola) February 28, 2021

Dear #LoveIslandSA

Do you want to be loud or soft?
Do you like music or not?

Please decide

— Yaaseen Barnes (@Ya_a_seen_Him) February 28, 2021

The production team shooting #LoveIslandSA pic.twitter.com/HGZlIYcPFh

— Sailen (@SailenNaidoo) March 1, 2021

Not the credits playing in absolute silence #LoveIslandSA pic.twitter.com/r5ChKUgEB7

— Kayla Arends (@kayla_arends) February 28, 2021

All these people need to appear before the Zondo commission #LoveIslandSA pic.twitter.com/JOxbHwUSzL

— Tommy Vercetti (@WeLiiveBaby) March 1, 2021

Hey, is that a camera clearly visible in the background, and a voice telling somebody called Andy to get out of the way? Yup.

#LoveIslandSA production off the chain guys. Keep it up! Killing it! pic.twitter.com/YJTQ2vIM5P

— B҉a҉g҉e҉l҉b҉o҉i҉ (@pieterbagelboi) March 1, 2021

The narrator/voiceover guy hasn’t been well received, either, and at one stage, dryly stated “my English teacher would be proud. Sadly, she’s dead.”

For real:

Voice over guy:

“my English teacher would be proud, sadly she is dead” wtf?!?! #LoveIslandSA pic.twitter.com/loGMMb03Jd

— that babe✨ (@NforNat_) March 1, 2021

Sadly, I cannot find the clip, so I will just head to DStv Catch Up and record it from there.

Except, hang on – there are no episodes available.

When you play the important notice video, here’s what you get:

At this point, you know they know they’ve really, really dropped the ball.

Consider that one of the show’s biggest sponsors, LottoStar, has already pulled out, issuing this very curt statement:

“LottoStar has taken the decision to respectfully withdraw its sponsorship of Love Island SA. We wish the show and its contestants every success” – Director, LottoStar. #LoveIslandSA

— Lottostar (@Lotto_Star) March 2, 2021

Finally, after days of being slammed on social media, M-Net released a statement admitting as much:

pic.twitter.com/qF23HqIWXi

— M-Net (@MNet) March 2, 2021

At least there is the opportunity to introduce new contestants throughout the show, so the imbalance can be addressed.

Not that the production quality has vastly improved as the week has worn on. Below via Channel24:

Tuesday night’s episode 3, set in the middle of a vineyard, abruptly ended 8 minutes short and continued to be marred by technical problems and mistakes as well as what sounded like a farm tractor noise in the background.

Viewers complained about the bad and lagging sound, missing scenes, bad, blurry and out-of-focus camera work, bad editing, the sudden disappearance of the contestant Sarah who was introduced and only seen in episode 2 on Monday, scenes were shown out of chronological order, while contestants spoke about events never shown

Putting aside the technical errors, I just find it incredible that having faced similar criticism for running two seasons of The Bachelor SA, featuring white males as the leads, those casting Love Island SA thought this would end in anything other than disaster.

[source:channel24]