Love Island’s Mike Thalassitis – Aren’t Adults Responsible For Themselves?

Mike Thalassitis from Love Island has just died – by his own hand it appears. Leading to all sorts of calls that the producers of the TV show are in some manner responsible. Or should have done something. Or, well, Bad! anyway. To which the answer is that adults are responsible for themselves and their own behaviour.

Yea, this is true even if they’re a reality star, someone who’s been on TV a bit or you or I out here. We’re adults, to insist that others must take care of us is to infantilise us all:

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] Love Island star Mike Thalassitis has died aged 26, his management has confirmed. The reality television star and former footballer was reportedly found dead in Essex on Friday. He found fame on the 2017 series of the ITV show. [/perfectpullquote]

A tragedy, obviously enough, suicide always is. But it’s who should be responsible here that begins to grate:

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Mike Thalassitis dies: Love Island criticised after contestant’s death at 26
A fellow contestant of Mike Thalassitis from series 3 said after the show ends, stars only get support if they are “number one”.[/perfectpullquote]

The maker of the TV show doesn’t owe you support after the TV show is over. Just to be absurd about it, the BBC doesn’t owe me a duty of care for horrifying me by seating me next to Lady Margaret, Dame Hodge, for an interview one day. True, the recovery was expensive and long lasting but I always had the opportunity to back out rather than go in front of the camera.

So it is with anyone else who volunteers. Or at least, so it should be. For we are adults and so we should be responsible for ourselves as adults are.