Fury Over George Knights Love Island Exit!

He was the ultimate blond bombshell set to turn this year’s Love Island villa upside-down.

But former minor league footballer George Knight did more than just that and has ended up causing more of a ‘headache’ for than entertainment for viewers.

After joining at the end of the first episode, within days it was dramatically announced that Knight had left the Mallorca mansion due to a ‘private family matter’ – or so fans were led to believe.

Commenting on his departure at the time, ITV bosses said they had a ‘duty of care’ towards the 28-year-old and would not be commenting further.

Praised for putting his family first ahead of his bid for fame, Knight was inundated with well-wishes from worried fans in the days after he returned to London.

But late last night it emerged that the former sportsman was in fact thrown out of the villa for using an offensive slur towards one of his co-stars, which was not aired.

And now the Daily Mail can reveal the truth was hushed up within ITV as bosses went to great lengths to prevent fans discovering the true reason Knight left.

Insiders said even members of staff were kept in the dark and now whispers of a ‘bizarre cover-up’ are emerging.

A source close to Love Island said: ‘It’s chaos. It’s a cover-up because controversy is the last thing anyone wants.

‘It was just days into the series and there were fears the fallout would have tainted this year, before it had even really begun.’ 

Bosses are no doubt terrified of anything untoward happening on the flagship show as it has become known for a string of controversies in past series.

The long-running dating show, which is watched by millions of fans each year, regularly comes under scrutiny for its duty of care towards participants, which ITV has always insisted is robust.

Last year it was the most-complained about show on television, with Ofcom revealing it occupied the top three spots with thousands of complaints from viewers.

The source close to the show continued: ‘ITV could have easily disclosed during George’s exit that he was reprimanded for inappropriate behaviour and yet they chose not to, this has proved to be a mistake.’

After the comment was made, ITV issued the star with a formal warning and planned to swiftly eject him from the show to avoid further controversy.

But panicked bosses were saved when a family matter, which is understood to be legitimate, coincided with the incident, and was seen as a way to quietly remove him from the lineup.

‘ITV have really shot themselves in the foot here,’ said the source. ‘As soon as George left the villa there were whispers that all was not as it seems.

‘And as he effectively quit the show, the channel has no grasp on him any more - or a say in what he does - and it has caused uneasiness as they would rather his 15 minutes of fame comes to an end sooner rather than later.

‘They have misled viewers and broken their trust. It was very foolish of them to think something like this would not get out.

‘Of course they have a duty of care towards George, but they also have a duty to the loyal fans of the programme. People expect the truth.

‘Even staff working on Love Island at every level were not told of George’s rule break.

‘They, like the rest of the fans, were under the impression he had to leave to be with his family. It has really annoyed them.’

An ITV insider added: ‘In a situation where an Islander leaves the villa in unusual circumstances, the duty of care is the first consideration - as such they wouldn't elaborate on the reasons behind George leaving the villa.’

Despite being allowed to leave under the guise of family matters, the former Bracknell footballer has defied bosses' wishes and continued to seek publicity by appearing on podcasts and giving interviews.

Almost immediately he was signed with Tank Talent, a PR firm which also represents former Love Island star Harrison Solomon.

It can be revealed that Knight did not inform his agent about the real reason he was kicked off the show, and they no longer represent him.

A source said: ‘He put them in an impossible situation. Agents expect their clients to be truthful if they’re managing their public profile.

‘They’re paid to deal with controversies like this, but they have already lost the battle if there is no trust.

‘He spun them a web of lies too, it is astounding. George is now representing himself and many agents will not want to deal with him.’

Many of Knight’s peers are also washing their hands of him less than a week after he had a taste of reality star life.

Solomon, 23, who appeared on Love Island last year and had eagerly posted a number of social media videos with Knight, last night said he regretted inviting him over to his home.

He told his fans: ‘I thought he was cool. I did think he was cool, I’ll be so honest. But to hear that, you can’t be saying those things, bro. You know what I’m saying, there must have been something bad to get kicked out straight away.’

He added: ‘Would I still have had a stream with him if I knew this? Of course not.’

Speaking to a newspaper days after leaving the show, Knight was asked about the chat with producers that led to his exit. But instead of coming clean, he chose to continue lying.

Smirking, he said: 'It is all very private. But it was a health concern with a member of the immediate family.

'They said they felt like they weren't doing their role as a parent if they didn't let me know. And with what was said, I just felt like it was the right thing to come home.'

Our insider said: ‘It’s baffling that he continued to seek press and attention knowing what had taken place.’