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Louise Thomas
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Mimii Ngulube and Josh Oyinsan have made history as the first Black couple to win Love Island.
The mental health nurse from Portsmouth, 24, and the semi-professional footballer from Dartford, 29, were crowned winners of the eleventh season of the reality TV dating show by host Maya Jama after UK viewers chose them as their favourite couple in a public vote.
Ngulube and Oyinsan beat Welsh couple Nicole Samuel and Ciaran Davies, who finished as runners-up, to the £50,000 first place prize. Fellow islanders Matilda Draper and Sean Stone came third on the show, while Jessica Spencer and Ayo Odukoya placed fourth.
The couple made history as the first Black couple to win the UK version of Love Island, with their victory coming just over a week after another Black couple, Serena Page and Kordell Beckham, won Love Island USA.
Their historic win also comes after Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan, the first Love Island couple comprised of two people of colour, taking the first place prize in 2023.
Reacting to their victory, Ngulube and Oyinsan shared a passionate kiss with Ngulube telling Jama she “wasn’t expecting” to win and felt “over-stimulated, overwhelmed, [and] grateful”.
The couple later told viewers at home: “Thank you everyone, we love you!”
During the final declarations of love ahead of the winner announcement, Ngulube had praised Oyinsan for being “attentive, kind, gentle and loving”. She added: “Thank you for showing me the qualities that I thought were unrealistic in this day and age.”
Josh responded: “When I’m watching you fall asleep on my chest, it feels like nothing else matters in the world and I’m at total peace.”
Fans were quick to react to Ngulube and Oyinsan’s history-making win on social media. “I can’t believe we got two black couples winning both Love Island USA and UK this might be the best summer,” one person celebrated on X/Twitter.
Another person joked about Oyinsan’s surprised reaction to hearing he’d won, with one writing: “Josh couldn’t believe they won, he’s thinking this must be a setup.”
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Meanwhile, another viewer added: “Mimii and Josh making history, no black couple has ever placed higher than third in the final. We love it.”
