“Love Island USA” logo.
Peacock
James Barker, an executive producer on the hit reality series Love Island USA, died last week while the show was filming in Fiji, according to published reports.
ITV and Peacock told TMZ and NBC News in a statement that they “will honor 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.”
Barker was 40, according to Deadline. The date Barker died nor the cause of death has not been released.
“James’ unimaginable loss has been deeply felt across not just the entire ‘Love Island USA’ production, but throughout all of ITV and Peacock,” a statement from the networks (via NBC News) reads. “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’ family, friends and colleagues.”
Barker started as a story producer on Love Island USA in 2020, according to NBC News. From there, Barker worked as an executive producer for 110 episodes of the reality dating series on Seasons 4, 6 and 7 from 2022-2025.
Barker also was an executive producer on the Love Island USA spinoff Love Island Games, in 2025, and a consulting producer on Love Island: Beyond the Villa in 2026.
James Barker Began His Producing Career On ‘Pawn Stars’
James Barker kicked off his producing career on the hit History reality series Pawn Stars, where he served as a post-story producer and story producer on 145 episodes from 2012 to 2016.
Prior to that, Barker was an office coordinator on the Bravo reality series Fashion Hunters in 2011 and a story production assistant on the History reality series American Restoration from 2011 to 2012.
Barker was also a story producer on four episodes of Season 1 of Netflix’s reality series Queer Eye in 2018. Amid his work on Love Island USA, Barker was also a co-executive producer on the Prime Video reality series Cosmic Love in 2022, and an executive producer on all 10 episodes of the ITV America and Hulu reality romance series Are You My First? in 2025.