Former Love Island Australia winner Tina Provis has spoken out about the show’s lack of Asian representation in its most recent season, describing the absence as “upsetting” and a missed opportunity to make viewers feel seen.

Provis, a Filipina-Australian reality TV star, shared a series of posts on social media this week after the seventh season of Love Island Australia wrapped.

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Her comments quickly gained attention as fans revisited long-standing conversations around diversity and representation on Australian reality television.

Why Tina Provis decided to speak up now

In a two-minute TikTok, Provis explained that she deliberately waited until the season ended before sharing her thoughts. She said she had hoped an Asian contestant might still be introduced later in the season, but when the finale aired without any Asian representation, she felt compelled to say something.

“I am so disappointed with Love Island Australia this year. There is zero Asian representation,” Provis said. “I wanted to wait until the season finished, just in case any bombs came in, but no.”

Provis added that in every previous season of the show, there had been at least one cast member of Asian background — something she said she always found comforting as a viewer.

The numbers behind the frustration

In her video, Provis pointed to broader statistics to explain why the lack of representation stood out to her. She noted that around 17 per cent of Australia’s population identifies as Asian, yet across seven seasons of Love Island Australia, representation has remained minimal.

According to Provis, of the 167 contestants who have appeared on the show so far, only 11 have been Asian Australians. She also highlighted the limited visibility of Asian men on the series, later clarifying in the comments that while one male contestant had previously been recognised, another — Ben Richardson, who is of Filipino descent — also appeared in Season Five.

The broader point, she said, wasn’t about perfection, but about consistent effort.

“I just find it highly unlikely that there were no options available to make it a more diverse cast,” Provis said.

Why representation matters on reality TV

Provis explained that her disappointment comes from personal experience. After her own time on Love Island Australia, she received messages from viewers who said seeing her on screen helped them feel represented in Australian media.

“I think of when I came off the show and had all these really lovely messages from people who said they saw bits of themselves in me,” she said. “Now, after this season, people don’t have those.”

She also drew attention to the broader lack of Asian male representation in mainstream Australian media, calling it a “massive gap” that extends far beyond Love Island.

Connecting the conversation to wider reality TV debates

In her TikTok, Provis also referenced recent online discussions around Love Is Blind USA, where an Asian American contestant faced criticism from viewers over internalised racism. She said those conversations resonated with her own experiences, both on reality TV and beyond it.

“I can only imagine the impact this has on the esteem of young Asian men,” Provis said, referring to repeated exclusion from popular beauty standards in media.

Provis reflects on her own experiences in the villa

Provis has previously spoken openly about experiencing racism during her time on Love Island Australia. Earlier this year, she told PEDESTRIAN.TV that she encountered racially insensitive comments from fellow contestants while filming.

She recalled moments where comments were made about her appearance based on her race, and said she challenged those remarks at the time. According to Provis, production intervened to address the situation, but the experiences stayed with her.

A call for change, not cancellation

Despite her criticism, Provis made it clear that her comments come from a place of care rather than hostility toward the show.

“I have so much love for this show and the people that make it, which is why I’m so disappointed,” she wrote in a follow-up Instagram post. “I’m sure there’s a very logical explanation, but I’m not sure anything would hold up as good enough reason.”

She concluded her message by urging Love Island Australia to do better in future seasons, particularly when it comes to reflecting the diversity of its audience.

“With 17 per cent of the Australian population identifying as Asian background, that’s 4.6 million people,” Provis said. “It sounds pretty good for ratings to me.”

At the time of writing, Channel Nine has not publicly responded to Provis’ comments.