Laura Whitmore says 'Love Island' is not about appearances

Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore has insisted the dating show is about personalities and not appearances.

The ITV reality series features contestants - predominantly in their 20s and dressed in revealing swimwear - competing to find love and win a cash prize by being voted the viewers' favourite couple.

Whitmore, 35, told Metro.co.uk: "As a fan, I love how the show has grown over the years, it’s been lovely. When it all comes down to it, it’s about the relationships and personalities. We all watch and judge those islanders as they come onto the show but that always changes.

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"So, at the end of the day, it’s not about appearances, it’s personality. And that’s life. That’s what life is."

The TV presenter also believes the show reflects diversity in its contestants.

She said: "I think casting do a great job on the show and it’s open to a wide range of people. I think there’s quite a range in there and probably only a certain group of people are putting themselves up there.

"But honestly, I always think the world doesn’t consist of people who all look the same. It’s always really important to show that whenever we can."

Whitmore is in a relationship with Love Island narrator Iain Stirling, but previously revealed they hardly saw each other while working on the most recent series at the start of the year.

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Speaking to White Wine Question Time with Kate Thornton, she said: “We don’t see each other [on Love Island] – never see each other.

"We never did anything together because he's in the [voice-over] booth in production and I go in and out of the villa or I'd be hosting the live show, Aftersun, in London. I’d see him more when neither of us were working.”