Love Island is setting the wrong example, says Paddy McGuinness

Paddy McGuinness thinks 'Love Island' is "setting the wrong example" to the British public.

The 50-year-old TV star believes that the ITV show is putting unrealistic pressures and expectations on viewers.

Paddy - who previously hosted the ITV dating show 'Take Me Out' - told the 'Restless Natives' podcast: "Body image-wise, you’re setting the wrong example with 'Love Island'.

"'Take Me Out', we used to have tall lads, small lads, chubby lads - it was the same with the girls.

"That’s one of the things I said to the producer - we can’t have 30 ‘worldies’, it’s just not real life.

"I like that it was a Saturday night thing and you’d be watching it and somebody on there would look like you."

Paddy previously described 'Take Me Out' as the "most successful British dating show ever".

Speaking to Digital Spy, he added: "[It] beats everything. It might be one of the most successful in the world."

Paddy also revealed that he could easily relate to the show's contestants.

He explained: "What I say for some of the lads - especially if they're doing a really random item on stage - I say, 'Look, I've done a dating show years ago. So don't worry about it. Whatever you're thinking, it's ten times worse what I've done.'

"That's what I like about the show - it doesn't pretend that it's something it's not."

Asked if he would have gone on the show during his younger years, Paddy replied: "Yeah. I did 'God's Gift', and I were about 19 or 20.

"I was a lifeguard, and in the staff room they put a notice up saying 'ITV looking for lifeguards for this show'. And we were all like 'We're having a bit of that'. And we all went down there and did auditions and I was the only one who got on. And at the time I was like 'Yes, have that lads', and now I'm going, 'Oh God. Why?'"