Love Island has topped Ofcom’s annual list of the most complained about moments on TV in 2025.
The broadcasting regulator received 14,121 complaints in 2025 relating to the ITV dating show, totaling 30 per cent of the total 49,580 complaints it handled in the last 12 months. This was a drop on the level of complaints it received in 2024.
The most complained about moment of 2025 related to the alleged bullying of contestant Shakira Khan in an episode on July 24, which raised 3,547 complaints in total. The same issue prompted complaints over the episode of July 22, some of which were also about Megan Forte Clarke returning to the villa. Those issues also led to a large number of complaints over the episodes that aired on July 23 and 25.
Also featuring in the top 10 most complained about moments were Vanessa, amassing 1,866 complaints over a discussion of breastfeeding and its benefits which some found misleading. There were 1,391 complaints on the GB News show Headliners over a comment complainants believed linked the LGBTQ+ community to paedophiles, which was later found to have broken Ofcom’s broadcasting rules.
Celebrity Big Brother received 1,008 complaints over homophobic comments made by Mickey Rourke towards JoJo Siwa on the April 9 episode, for which he was given a formal warning and later ejected. Meanwhile, there were 938 complaints made over the BRIT Awards for Sabrina Carpenter‘s opening routine, which took place before the 9pm watershed, and Charli XCX‘s outfit.
2025 in broadcast standards
We received 49,580 complaints about 8,422 cases
opened 24 investigations
found 15 cases in breach of our rules
These were the 10 most complained-about programmes of the year https://t.co/7lgAtuuM3W pic.twitter.com/iYE2phPnVG
— Ofcom (@Ofcom) December 18, 2025
Ofcom’s most complained about TV moments in 2025 are:
Love Island, ITV2, July 24 – 3,547 complaints over alleged bullying of Shakira Khan
Love Island, ITV2, July 22 – 2,509 complaints over alleged bullying of Shakira Khan and return of Megan Forte Clarke
Love Island, ITV2, July 23 – 2,003 complaints over alleged bullying of Shakira Khan and return of Megan Forte Clarke
Vanessa, 5, June 10 – 1,866 complaints over potentially misleading discussion of the benefits of breastfeeding
Headliners, GB News, January 22 – 1,391 complaints over presenter’s comment potentially linking the LGBTQ+ community to paedophiles
Today with Samantha Washington, Sky News, June 7 – 1,302 over alleged misrepresentation of the Madleen, a vessel trying to peacefully deliver aid to Gaza
Love Island, ITV2, July 25 – 1,296 complaints over alleged bullying of Shakira Khan and the way Blu Chegini spoke to Toni Laites
Love IslandL All Stars, ITV2, February 12 – 1,240 complaints over alleged bullying
Celebrity Big Brother, ITV2, April 9 – 1,008 complaints over Mickey Rourke’s homophobic comments towards JoJo Siwa
The Brit Awards, ITV1, March 1 – 938 complaints over Sabrina Carpenter’s performance and Charli xcx’s outfit
Last year’s most complained about episode on TV was Julia Hartley-Brewer on TalkTV, which amassed 17,366 complaints over comments the host made during an interview with Dr Mustafa Barghouti, the general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative.
In 2023, it was Dan Wootton Tonight on GB News, in relation to misogynistic comments made by Laurence Fox about journalist Ava Evans. The incident brought 8,867 complaints to Ofcom.
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