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Love Island: Adam sparks warning from charity Women's Aid

ITV Adam CollardITV

Love Island contestant Adam Collard's behaviour in the reality TV show has led a domestic abuse charity to issue a warning about spotting signs of abuse.

The 22-year-old has faced a backlash from fans over the way he's treated fellow Love Islander Rosie Williams.

Women's Aid says there are "clear warning signs in Adam's behaviour" and has warned about "emotional abuse".

Speaking after he was evicted, Adam said he "didn't intentionally try to upset anyone".

ITV Rosie WilliamsITV
Fans are unhappy about the way Adam has treated Rosie

Adam was coupled up with Rosie but their relationship hit the rocks following the arrival of Zara McDermott.

Zara's arrival led Rosie to confront him about the way she felt she'd been treated during one episode.

She said Adam had ignored her all day and wasn't acting normally, to which he replied he didn't "need to reassure" her.

He told Rosie she was on the "defence" and that he did fancy Zara but it hadn't meant anything until Rosie "acted like a child".

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Later on, Rosie went on to tell Adam that she was "hurt" and accused him of not caring.

Adam didn't respond much to what she said - but when Rosie said he'd broken her heart and he was "smug about it" he denied that was the case.

Some fans were not happy with his behaviour towards Rosie.

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But others have defended him.

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Katie Ghose, chief executive of Women's Aid, said: "In a relationship, a partner questioning your memory of events, trivialising your thoughts or feelings, and turning things around to blame you can be part of pattern of gaslighting and emotional abuse."

Gaslighting is to "manipulate someone by psychological means into doubting their own sanity" - according to Oxford Dictionaries online.

Katie said Rosie had called out Adam's "unacceptable behaviour" and she urged viewers to "join her in recognising unhealthy behaviour in relationships and speaking out against all forms of domestic abuse - emotional as well as physical".

Speaking to This Morning, she said she recognised that Love Island was an "artificial environment" but if the type of behaviour Adam displayed happened repeatedly in real life it could be seen as a "form of emotional abuse".

After he was voted off the show in July, Adam appeared on ITV's This Morning and was asked about the reaction to his behaviour.

"I could've been a little bit more sensitive with the way I went about certain things," he said.

"But at the same time, I know the main conversation that people have watched that probably doesn't look good for me was a very, very long conversation that has been cut into a really short amount of time."

He added: "It was a massive shock to me when I saw that, but I really didn't intentionally try to upset anyone.

"It wasn't nice to see Rosie upset because she obviously did care, but you're in a situation. You're in a bubble."

Adam also mentioned the fact that Rosie had previously said on This Morning that she didn't think it was emotional abuse.

"Rosie came on here and fair play to her, she admitted herself, there's no emotional abuse at all.

"I really respect Rosie for saying that."

Newsbeat contacted Love Island for a comment.

If you've been affected by any of the issues mentioned in this article, you can take a look at the BBC Advice pages.

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