Channel 4 defends decision to supply The Island contestants with dry clothes, food and shelter after storm hits camp
C4 has said the safety team on the show stepped in after “exceptional circumstances” on the island
There were unprecedented scenes on The Island with Bear Grylls on Monday night, when torrential rain led the show’s safety team to step in and intervene to help the islanders.
In what’s been called “exceptional circumstances” by Channel 4, dry clothes, rations and a tarpaulin were supplied to the remaining islanders by Bear’s safety team, who turned up on the island to carry out assessments on the camp.
A Channel 4 spokesperson told RadioTimes.com: “It was clear in the programme that the weather was extreme. These were exceptional circumstances and as is shown in the episode, the intervention allowed was for duty of care to the islanders’ health and safety.”
After being hit by the tail end of a hurricane, the safety team identified trees that looked likely to fall and be blown down in the gales, as well as giving the camp a tarpaulin to keep off the worst of the rain.
Food rations and new, dry clothes were also distributed to the islanders, who were left standing barefoot in several inches of water after the extreme weather.
The islanders were previously split into two: those wanting to remain on the island and those wanting to leave and be evacuated off. After the new supplies were distributed to the contestants, eventually everyone decided to remain on the show.
The Island continues next Monday on Channel 4
