Meet Winter Love Island’s Contestants 2023

From Lifted Entertainment

Calling all reality lovers!

The singletons are ready to start their search for love in the scorching setting of South Africa and we’ve got everything you need to know about them before the show starts.

We are beyond excited for the new season of Love Island here at STELLAR and as the contestant announcements have been arriving, we’ve been doing a major creep on the contestants, for our own entertainment and yours!

Gathering all the info we have on them so far, here is the full lineup for this year’s winter series and all the inside deets. Find out their day jobs, why they are entering the villa and which contestant has worked with Jason Stathem…

Tanya Manhenga

From Lifted Entertainment

Tanya Manhenga is a 22-year-old biomedical science student and influencer, from Liverpool and she will be taking to our screens to find love this January!

Explaining why she joined the show Tanya said, “I’m looking for a boyfriend and I think being in a Villa with lots of different people will help me work out who it is I may want.”

She also revealed what her icks are, “Guys that don’t wear socks in the house. Why are your feet flapping all around the house? Guys have huge feet too, yuck. Also, guys in the bathtub with no bubbles, such an ick, no.” Bubble baths are elite tbf.

And something people may not know about the future islander? “I have Vitiligo, which is a skin pigmentation, you may not even notice it. It’s on my lip and I have a stripe on my hair. Not many people know that but I think it’s quite cute. I don’t care about covering it up all the time, I think it’s a vibe.”

We cannot wait to see Tanya in the villa!

Kai Fagan 

From Lifted Entertainment

Kai Fagan is a 24-year-old science and PE teacher from Manchester.

Speaking about his love life he said, “I’m single by choice. I’m looking for the right girl. I feel like I have quite high expectations. I don’t feel I should commit to someone unless I’m absolutely buzzing over them, because it’s not fair on them.”

How people would describe him? “Chilled, caring, very impulsive and a good guy. I always put my friends and family first and spend a lot of time with them.”

Want to know a little more about Kai? He shared, “I’m a Jamaican citizen. Because of that I played rugby 7s for Jamaica. I play semi-professional rugby now for Burnage RFC. I’ve technically got three different degrees and went to three different unis.”

Lana Jenkins 

From Lifted Entertainment

Lana is a 25-year-old makeup artist from Luton.

Lana admitted that she falls in love very quickly, “I tend to know quite soon if I could fall in love with that person and then, as long as everything is going well, I’ll probably tell them I love them in about a week.”

Although she is all about the ‘L’ word, Lana does have a few icks she wants to look out for.

“I don’t mind people texting me all the time but if you send me question marks if I’ve not replied to you in a while, you’re gone. That’s a really big red flag for me! Also if I see a guy trip over, that’s an instant turn off,” she said.

As for a fun fact about her, she said, “In my work as a makeup artist I’ve worked with lots of celebrities. Also, when I was 6-years-old I used to live in Spain and I was in an episode of Benidorm as an extra.”

Tanyel Revan

From Lifted Entertainment

Tanyel is a 26-year-old hairstylist from North London.

Describing herself, she said, “I’m hard to get, confident, funny, charismatic, good looking and happy. I’m also a very loyal person, what is there not to love?”

Tanyel says she will bring energy and confidence to the villa adding, “I’m funny, loud, feisty, charismatic.”

She said she isn’t a fan of “pretty boys” and eye celeb crush is Channing Tatum, “[He] is handsome but not too pretty. He’s manly and he can dance. If a man can dance I’m in love with him straight away.”

Ron Hall

From Lifted Entertainment

Ron is a 25-year-old financial advisor from Essex.

Explaining what he thinks he’ll bring to the villa he said, “Fun and charisma. I just want to be naturally myself in there, have good times and make memories. I think people will enjoy my company. ”

“I’m the most genuine person you’ll meet. I’m genuine, caring and I’m a nice person – which you don’t find these days,” he added.

As a result of a football injury when he was 8, Ron was left blind in one eye, he explained, “I went in for a header and got kicked in the face. I’ve got two different coloured eyes, one blue and one green. It’s added to my character, there are so many people that are worse off than me. And if anything, losing something like that makes you realise that. It’s not hindered me in any shape or form. It’s a good conversation starter I must admit.”

Anna-May Robey

From Lifted Entertainment

Anna-May is a 20-year-old payroll administrator from Swansea.

Speaking about joining Love Island she said, “I want a boyfriend, I want to find someone who makes me laugh. I’ve been single for quite a while, my mother is bugging me, she’s like, ‘You need to find a boyfriend.’ I’m just excited to try something new and I think going on Love Island is a good way to meet someone.”

What can we expect from Anna-May? She says her friends and family describe her as, “Energetic. I’m always running around singing and screaming. My parents are always like, ‘Shut up!’ I work from home all day so I don’t really speak to people in person for two or three days a week, so when my father comes home, he’ll want to sit down and chill out, and I’m there chewing his ear off! I would definitely say I am a chatterbox.”

Will Young

From Lifted Entertainment

Will is a 23-year-old farmer from Buckinghamshire and is taking some time out to look for love, “Having grown up on a farm, it’s been quite difficult juggling relationships and work. Love Island will give me time away from the farm to solely go out and find love. I think I’m at the time of my life where I’m mature enough to go and find a wife.”

Will is all for a bit of winding down after a long day, he explained, “Every night I light a candle and meditate for 20-25 minutes. A girl I was seeing told me to meditate, I tried it and loved it. I stopped seeing her and carried on meditating! It’s a nice way to self-reflect, taking a minute on my day/ week. It’s really nice and sets me up for a nice sleep.”

Shaq Muhammad

From Lifted Entertainment

Shaq is a 24-year-old airport security officer from London.

Shaq is looking for the real thing in the villa this year, he explained, “I haven’t had the best luck with previous relationships. So, I thought, why not be in the sun and potentially meet the love of my life? Hopefully I do come out with my future wife. The person I hope to marry one day. Hopefully she’s in the Villa. “

It seems like Shaq is a hopeless romantic, and his favourite might surprise you, “Every time I watch Dear John I cry. That’s my favourite film. Any time I’m with someone and they say, ‘Let’s watch a romantic film’, I’m like, ‘How about Dear John, how does that sound?’”

“My family and friends would say I do [fall in love quickly]. I’m the type of person that wears my heart on my sleeve. If I find someone I click with, I fall very hard, very fast. Sometimes that can be a bad thing. I’m a very emotional person. It can be a blessing and a curse,” he continued.

Olivia Hawkins

From Lifted Entertainment

Olivia is a 27-year-old ring girl and actress from Brighton.

She has never been in a relationship and feels that Love Island is the right place to find the love of her life.

“I’ll bring fun, vibes, I’m a very confident, bubbly person…. maybe a little bit of drama!” she said about entering the villa.

And her acting career is pretty impressive, she explained, “I did a film with Jason Statham and had a nice 10-minute convo about life. I’ve been a ring girl for KSI, I played a waitress in James Bond with Daniel Craig and I’ve also been a body double for Michelle Keegan and Emma Watson.”

Haris Namani

From Lifted Entertainment

Haris is a 21-year-old TV salesman from Doncaster.

“I’ve never found love. I think this is the show that can help me. It’s the best opportunity for me to find the girl and find the right one. I’ve obviously not found the right one myself,” he shared about joining the show.

But it’s not only him a girl has to impress, “I’ve never taken a girl home, I’m not going to say I’ve fallen in love until I’ve taken them to meet my mum and dad or sisters and brother.”

So, what can we expect from Haris?, “I’m different, I’m a unique guy, the way I act; confident, not awkward, especially with the girls. I’m friendly, I’m very respectful as well. Anyone who meets me, I don’t think they have anything bad to say about me. I don’t give them that bad impression to say, ‘Oh, I don’t want to speak to him again,’” he said.

Love Island starts at 9pm Monday 16th January on Virgin Media Two and Virgin Media Player.

 

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