The Island 2018 contestant Barnes Thomas ‘has become a hate figure’

Friends of The Island 2018 contestant Barnes Thomas have defended him after hate from viewers.

The Island with Bear Grylls kicked off its 2018 series last week and there was controversy from the off.

A total of 16 contestants have been sent to live on an uninhabited pacific island with just the clothes on their back and a few basic survival tools. As always, they’re filming everything that happens themselves as they try to survive for five weeks.

In a new twist for this year, the contestants have been split into two groups based on their wages.

One group earns an average of £100,000 a year while the other takes home less than the national average.

Within the first two days, the separate groups had met up and there was an almost instant clash of cultures.

Barnes, one of the ‘rich’ group, caused outrage on Twitter with some of his comments towards the ‘poor’ contestants.

But it seems as though the anger has gone beyond nasty comments online.

The Daily Star reports that Barnes’ car has been vandalised and he’s been left “looking over his shoulder wherever he goes”.

Friends defended Barnes, accusing the show of unfairly editing him.

One pal told the newspaper “Barnes is a nice guy and quite sensitive.

“He is now looking over his shoulder wherever he goes. He’s absolutely nothing like the way he’s being portrayed by this show.”

A spokesperson for Channel 4 declined to comment to the tabloid.

The Island with Bear Grylls continues Monday nights at 9PM on Channel 4.