Contestants’ cigarette habits in the reality TV show Love Island and Winston Churchill’s cigars in the Oscar-winning film Darkest Hour inspire children to take up smoking, anti-tobacco campaigners have warned MPs.
They cited a rise in smoking in Oscar-nominated films and research that showed cigarettes appeared in Love Island every five minutes on average, with the Lucky Strike brand appearing 16 times.
That research shows more than 60% of those who try smoking become regular smokers.
Craig Lawson, a former Love Island contestant, told the Sun last year that every islander was given at least 20 cigarettes a day by producers, if they wanted them.