‘Love Island USA’ EP James Barker, 40, Dies in Fiji During Production

James Barker, an executive producer on “Love Island USA,” has unexpectedly died at just 40 years old, TMZ reports.

Barker passed away in Fiji while the show was filming there.

The production told "Extra" in a statement, "ITV America and Peacock 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."

The statement continued, “James’ unimaginable loss has been deeply felt across not just the entire Love Island USA production, but throughout all of ITV and Peacock."

"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.”

His partner Adam Roth also opened up People magazine in a statement, saying, "James was the absolute light and love of my life. He brought joy and brilliance to everything he touched."

Roth continued, "James was such a champion of the community of young music artists he was able to introduce to audiences on Love Island," Roth said. "We met at a Billie Eilish concert, and live music was a constant in our relationship."

They were together for more than four years, and Adam said their relationship was "cut way too short, of course, but we took such advantage of the time we had together."

He added, "I am so proud of the work he did and that he was surrounded by such an amazing team. His loss is unimaginable."

“Love Island USA” Season 8 just kicked off on June 2, and the next day, James reflected on the new season.

He wrote on Instagram, "We come to Fiji for magic. We come to @loveislandusa to laugh, to cry, to care. Our islanders feel like the best part of us, and stories feel perfect and powerful… because here… they are. 🤪🤪"

Barker continued, "Hope you’re all enjoying the new season brought to you by a huge squad of brilliant people..."

According to his LinkedIn page, James had been working in TV production for more than 10 years. He was behind the scenes on shows like “Pawn Stars” and “Queer Eye” and first started working on “Love Island” in 2020. He was an executive producer for the past three seasons.