Nadia said: “In September 2017 Mr Blackman boasted to me that a female contestant, a very, very young contestant on the show, had asked to have sex with him. It was gross and harassing.

“He was aware that Olivia Buckland had messaged against him calling him a love rat and comparing him to Harvey Weinstein.

“He, like other powerful men in the TV and film industry, felt he was entitled to have sex with impressionable young women on the show and to harass women without accountability.”

She added: “The appalling discovery of what other women claimed Mr Blackman had done to them resonated on and re-awoke past sexual experiences when I was younger. This led to those depressed emotions cascading through my mind and a mental collapse.”

She claimed towards the end of filming series two in July 2017, Blackman launched a tirade against her.

Essex said: “His voice was raised, he was red-faced and he was pointing his finger at me. He concluded, ‘If you think that I am a bully now, just wait, I will f***ing destroy you’.” She added the harassment left her “suicidal at times”.

Blackman denies engaging in physical, mental and sexual inappropriate behaviour on the show.

He said: “These allegations are extremely hurtful and damaging. I maintain that these allegations are completely false.” Lime Pictures denies the claims against it.

The case, at Central London Employment Tribunal, was adjourned.

• Love Island

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