Love Island contestant defends viral promo video where he barks at women
Love Island contestant Jarrar Haidar says his barking comment was an inside joke.
Jarrar Haidar is a 23-year-old personal trainer and diesel mechanic from Thirroul. The viral promo video was misunderstood, he said.
In the clip watched more than 1.2 million times, he said: "If I see a girl I like I don't flirt, I bark." The comment sparked backlash on the show's Instagram page.
Producers used it to promote the season with a pun: "Will Jarrar have a RUFF time in the Villa?" Jarrar Haidar told local media it was an inside joke with friends.
He never intended to be disrespectful. He said he would only do it with people he knew well.
The Thirroul local is among several people from the Illawarra region to appear on major reality TV shows. Love Island Australia premieres on October 26 on Nine, using the network's villa in Fiji for the first time.
- 23 years old
- Age
- Thirroul
- Hometown
- 1.2 million times
- Video views
- October 26 on Nine
- Show premiere
Why it mattersThe incident shows how promo clips taken out of context can spark backlash and become central to a show's marketing, raising questions about what gets amplified on social media.
AustraliaLove Island Australia is a locally watched reality show with a regional contestant now in the spotlight, reflecting how Australian reality TV regularly recruits from regional areas.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
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