29 July 2023 , 18:00
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EastEnders star Lucy Benjamin has banned her daughters from watching Love Island because of its unrealistic body image messages. The actress fears the ITV dating show, which ends tomorrow, puts pressure on young viewers because contestants all “look like film stars”.
Lucy, 53 – Walford’s Lisa Fowler – said: “I’ve got two daughters, a 12-year-old and a 16-year-old. So Love Island isn’t on in our house. It doesn’t sit comfortably with me. It’s kids making out on TV and there’s kind of this beautiful body image persona. Everyone looks like film stars. I don’t think it puts out the right message.”
Lucy is so concerned at the pitfalls of sudden fame that she says she will encourage her girls, Rosie and Bessie, to steer clear and not follow her into acting. She said: “I think we have to be careful with reality TV to look after those taking part. It’s picking people out of obscurity and throwing them into the limelight. I don’t even particularly want my girls being actors. It’s such a hard profession. I’d be careful about them going into acting or reality TV. It might leave a knot in my stomach.
A scene from Love Island (ITV)“It has to be about having sustainability, you have to have a career behind you. And it’s really important to me to not have these quick fixes whereby you get famous quick and then go from this big high to a big low.”
Lucy is tuned in to the pitfalls as she films movie Look to the Light, which follows influencer Eddie – newcomer Charlie Goddard – as he chases fast fame at the cost of his personal life and integrity. Lucy plays his pushy mum, Elaine. And while Walford has seen the last of Lisa for now, Lucy – who started on the BBC soap 25 years ago – admits the role is definitely one of her own highs.
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She said: “It’s like putting on an old pair of slippers. I love that she always comes back to cause trouble.”
* Look to the Light is out next year