James Barker, executive producer of Love Island USA, has died in Fiji following an unexpected medical emergency during filming of season eight.
The news was confirmed in a joint statement from Peacock Television and ITV America, which said he passed away last week while production was underway on the hit dating series.
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"ITV America and Peacock will honour in Tuesday's episode of Love Island USA series Executive Producer James Barker, who passed away last week in Fiji after suffering an unexpected medical emergency," the networks said in a statement provided to CBC News.
"James' unimaginable loss has been deeply felt across not just the entire 'Love Island USA' production, but throughout all of ITV and Peacock," the statement continued.
"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."
No additional cause of death was disclosed following the announcement.
Barker joined Love Island USA in 2020 as a show producer before stepping into the executive producer role for the past three seasons.
His wider TV career began in 2011, with production credits including Counting Cars, Forged in Fire, and Pawn Stars.
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At ITV America, he also worked on the Emmy-winning series Queer Eye, according to the statement.
Outside of television, Barker was also active as a DJ and had built a dedicated following of fans.
"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."
His partner, Adam Roth, said in a statement that Barker "was the absolute light and love of my life."
"While it was not enough, I am so thankful for the time we had and the memories we made together."
On social media, Barker posted under the handle @chaoticdj, sharing behind-the-scenes updates from filming in Fiji.
"We come to Fiji for magic. We come to @loveislandusa to laugh, to cry, to care," he wrote on Instagram.
On June 10, he also posted on Threads, "I wish I was in NYC right now. Fiji is nice but nothing beats the vibes I'm seeing in my hometown."
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