After weeks of anticipation, the contestants for Love Island 2021 have been revealed.
The ITV2 series returns on Monday 28 June at 9pm with Laura Whitmore presenting for the second time while her husband, comedian Iain Stirling, will resume his role as the show’s colourful voiceover.
The dating show will see a new group of singles heading to the villa in the hope of finding love and winning £50,000.
In a post shared on social media on Sunday, ITV urged fans to “get to know” the new cast.
“These islanders are all single and ready to find love,” they wrote. “We can’t wait to watch them get to know each other, date, and maybe even find the one.
The lineup of contestants includes a glamour model, a Nando’s waitress, and the show’s first-ever participant with a disability: Hugo Hammond, a PE teacher and England cricketer.
Ahead of the new series, here’s how you can find all of the contestants on social media.
Sharon Gaffka – Civil servant
Gaffka, from Oxford, is a former Miss International United Kingdom, and won the competition in 2018.
Aged 25 years old, she studied law at university and works for the Department of Transport.
She is also an ambassador for the Young Women’s Trust, a feminist organisation.
To date, she has 18,000 followers on Instagram, making her one of the most-followed contestants so far.
When asked why she wanted to take part in Love Island, she said: “It’s been a bit of a running joke between my friendship group for a while that I should apply, probably because I’m the most outrageous one out of the group.
“But also because of Covid and the lockdown, I’m the only single one in my friendship group. They’re either married or planning on getting married. I don’t want to be the only one in the group chat that is single anymore!”
Aaron Francis – Model and luxury events host
Francis, 24, is a model and luxury events host from London.
He has worked at a number of high-profile parties, including both Princess Eugenie and Beatrice’s weddings.
Speaking about his career and the events he has hosted, he said: “Yeah, Eugenie and Beatrice’s [weddings] over the summer. I hosted and chatted.
“It was nice and intimate. Everyone’s chill. In my job you meet a lot of famous people... unless you’re Beyonce, I’m not really interested.”
With regards to what he wants in a partner, Francis added that he is looking for someone “passionate about what they are doing”.
He continued: “I don’t like when people are doing a job just to make money and then they kind of just live for the weekend. Especially because I work on the weekends.”
Francis has just 4,000 followers on Instagram.
Liberty Poole – Waitress and marketing student
Poole currently studies marketing at the University of Birmingham and works as a waitress at Nando’s.
She has 9,000 followers on Instagram.
Hugo Hammond – PE teacher
Hammond works as a secondary school PE teacher and has also played cricket for England’s physical disability team.
Having been born with clubfoot, Hammond, 24, is the first person with a disability to take part in Love Island.
“I was born with clubfoot,” he said. “I had lots of operations when I was a kid. You can only really tell when I walk barefoot. I’ve got a really short achilles heel. I walk slightly on my tip toes”.
Speaking about his job, Hammond added: “I teach secondary school PE. Absolutely love my job. I love all my sports.
“It’s great to be able to pass on that enthusiasm to be physically active to the younger generation and hopefully they feel the same about me teaching them.”
He has just over 3,000 followers on Instagram.
Shannon Singh – Model
Singh, 22, previously worked as a glamour model but now works as a DJ and social media influencer.
She comes from Fife and, with 154,000 followers, has one of the most popular Instagram accounts of all the Love Island contestants.
Jake Cornish – Water engineer
Hailing from Weston-Super-Mare, Cornish, 24, works as a water engineer.
With just 3,900 followers, he has a modest social media presence compared to his fellow Islanders.
Kaz Kamwi - Fashion blogger
Kamwi, 26, is a fashion blogger and social media influencer from Essex.
Given her job, it’s no surprise that she has a significant following on Instagram, with 61,000 followers.
Describing her type, she said: “I like meeting new people, I’m ready to be in a relationship. Why not be in a place where people are looking for the same things as me?”
Brad McClelland - Labourer
McClelland, 26 and from Northumberland, has been single for two years and, according to Love Island, has never been on a date.
He describes himself as a “gym goer and coffee lover” in his bio on Instagram, where he has 5,100 followers.
Chloe Burrows - Financial marketing executive
Burrows, 25, is from Bicester and works as a financial services marketing executive.
With just 2,800 followers on Instagram, Burrows has a much more modest social media presence compared to her fellow Islanders.
Describing her “type on paper”, she said: “I like a good build. I go to the gym. I want someone who is funny. Really funny and caring and will do nice little things for you.
“And then obviously someone who you can depend on to not ditch you. Because I am quite a big character and quite loud, they would have to be as loud, if not more.”
Toby Aromolaran - Footballer
Aromolaran is a semi-professional football player from Essex.
The 22-year-old describes himself as an “optimist”, adding: “I always see the bright side in the worst situations. I’m a fun guy when I go on a night out. Responsible guy as well.”
He has just over 5,000 followers on Instagram.
Faye Winter - Lettings manager
Winter, 25, is a lettings manager and a volunteer for that charity Guide Dogs UK, which provides dogs to people living with sight loss.
Winter has just 1,600 followers on Instagram.
