Love Island USA executive producer James Barker died last week during Season Eight filming in Fiji, the show’s collaborating networks said Monday.
The Brooklyn resident was 40.
He died after “suffering an unexpected medical emergency,” ITV and Peacock told the Daily News in a joint statement. They did not detail what the emergency was or how he’d died in the remote, 7,000-square-mile Southern Pacific archipelago republic.
“James’ unimaginable loss has been deeply felt across not just the entire Love Island USA production, but throughout all of ITV and Peacock,” the networks said in their statement.
“He was a beloved and greatly valued member of our collective family whose kindness, talent and dedication left an indelible mark on all of us and everyone who had the privilege of knowing and working with him.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to James’ partner, family, friends and colleagues,” the statement concluded.
The US version of the originally British reality dating series debuted in 2019 and quickly became a hit. Barker joined the team in 2020 as a story producer before moving on to executive producer for the past three seasons. He covered production and post-production and oversaw the soundtrack. He was also a DJ and a songwriter.
“James’ passion for music was not only core to his career but shaped his life. He spent 20 years DJ’ing across the country building a dedicated following of fans,” ITV and Peacock said. “After meeting his partner Adam at a show, their shared love of music was at the center of the life they built together — both at home and experiencing music all over the world.” – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
