Love Island line-up includes disabled contestant with Erb’s Palsy
A semi-professional footballer, a mental health nurse and an office administrator with Erb’s Palsy are among the latest young people looking for romance on Love Island.
The new series of the ITV2 dating show will see a raft of singletons enter the villa in Majorca hoping to find a match.
They include Patsy Field, 29, an office administrator from Orpington, who said her disability is the one quality she would like her other islanders to know about her.
She said “I’ve got something very special about me which is my disability, it’s a condition I was born with called Erb’s Palsy.
“It doesn’t define who I am, but it makes me a little different, although I’ve learnt to get on with it and it’s never held me back.”
The condition is a paralysis of the arm caused by injury to the upper group of the arm’s main nerves resulting from a difficult birth.
She added: “My friends would say that I’m the loudest person in the group, I’m the one who’s always up for doing a dare, they’d say I was the life and soul of the party.
“My family would say that I’m bossy and that it’s always my way or the highway, they’d say I rule the roost.”
She will be joined by Samantha Kenny, 26, a make-up artist from Liverpool, who said: “I’m ready to settle down and Love Island is an amazing opportunity to meet someone that isn’t from my area. I love a cockney boy so I’m hoping there is one in there for me.
“I think I will definitely bring some fire, I’m very opinionated and wear my heart on my sleeve. I’m really bubbly too so I’ll definitely have a laugh as well as bringing some Scouse glamour.”
Semi-professional footballer Ronnie Vint, 27, from London, will also enter the villa.
The sportsman is close friends with previous contestant Olivia Attwood and her husband, the footballer Bradley Dack.
He said: “Bradley Dack is my best friend and he and Olivia are a big part of my life.
“I call Olivia my big little sister, she always looks out for me.”
They will be joined by Munveer Jabbal, 30, a recruitment manager from Surbiton, Nicole Samuel, 24, an accounts manager from Aberdare, and Ciaran Davies, 21, a surveyor from Pencoed, South Wales.
Mimii Ngulube, 24, a mental health nurse from Portsmouth, described herself as “a girls’ girl”, adding: “My girls are my rocks and I’m theirs so I’ll be a good friend as well as going in there to find a man.
“I like dressing up so I’ll bring style, and I’d like to think I’m quite funny so I’ll make people laugh. Bringing honesty as well – I’m good at picking up on people’s personality traits and side-eyeing those who might be a liar.”
Sam Taylor, 23, a hair stylist from Chesterfield, Ayo Odukoya, 25, a model from Canning Town, Harriett Blackmore, 24, a dancer and personal shopper from Brighton and Sean Stone, 24, a salesman from Herford will be joined by Jess White, 25, a retail manager from Stockport, who said she is specific about the qualities she prioritises in a partner.
She said: “I would say nice teeth, I love a set of white Turkey teeth but a good set of Turkey teeth.
“I would say personality traits, you have to be family orientated. I’m so close to my mum and I’d like my future partner to be really close with their family too.
“You have to be tall, you can’t be shorter than me, I can’t be having to question whether I can wear heels around you and what height of heels I can wear. If you’re vertically challenged, it’s not for me.”
Love Island returns to screens on Monday June 3 at 9pm.
The first episode will be simulcast across ITV1, ITV2, ITVX and STV.