Love Island 2022: Meet the Islanders as the new series is just one week away

The first Love Islanders have been unveiled, with one week to go until the 2022 series kicks off.

Paige Thorne, 24, from Swansea is heading to Mallorca to find love, revealing she is ready for the hunks to ‘come to me now’ after failing to find romance back home, while Senior Microbiologist Dami Hope, 26, from Dublin is ready to play the field in the Spanish sun. 

The first crop of Islanders will all be unveiled this week, as the finishing touches are put on their new villa, ready for the start of the series, presented by Laura Whitmore, on Monday June 6. 

Paramedic Paige has declared she’s ready for the full Love Island experience: ‘In Swansea there is just no-one I can find, I’ve tried and there’s just nobody there anymore,’ she insists.

‘I need to break out and broaden my horizons and Love Island just brings everyone together for me. I haven’t got to go out and I haven’t got to swipe. So, hopefully they can just come to me now!

‘I came out of a relationship and I was just so done with guys so was like, ‘Right, that’s it. I’m going to focus on me.’ Then I was like, ‘Ok, I’m bored now, I’m lonely and I miss love and the connection and everything else.’ I’ve been on a few dates but I just haven’t clicked with anyone.’

On what she thinks she’ll bring to the villa, the bubbly brunette adds: ‘Just positive energy, lots of bubbly energy. I am a good cook and I’m quite mumsy so I’ll look after anyone that needs looking after.’

‘If I had to pick a signature dish, it would probably be a Sunday dinner. My roasties are up there, I think Gordon Ramsay would be impressed – I think he would be like ‘9/10 or 10/10’.

Dami from Dublin has also vowed to be ‘open to new things this year,’ explaining: ‘I think actually that’s why I put myself out there to get some new experiences. Love Island is a different experience.’

He adds that he’s not going to put all his eggs in one basket, revealing his game plan is to talk I’to different girls, it might not go well with some, might go well with others, so it’s a fun experience.’

When asked what he thinks he’ll bring to the villa, the hunk says: ‘Just myself – Dami Hope! Being me – funny and my personality. I don’t know if I will cause trouble, I’ll try not to cause trouble but sometimes you don’t intentionally cause trouble – but it happens!’

The scientist has a keen interest in astrology, adding: ‘When I’m actually in a relationship, I think it’s a star sign thing, I’m an Aries but I’m very passionate – I always used to put that person first. If they had something they wanted to do or something they were passionate about, I’d make sure that even if it’s something I’m not talented at I’d get talented at it just so it helps them. I’m really good at being in a team and actually looking after each other.’

Indiyah Polack, 23, is a hotel waitress and model from London who says ‘I feel like I’m at a stage in my life now where I’m ready to meet new people and start dating properly. I have been single for some time and I feel like for my generation of people, it’s quite hard to date without being influenced by social media and stuff like that.’

‘Love Island particularly is like a closed space and I think it is a great place to get to know someone one-on-one and build a real connection.’

‘I feel like I’m going to bring a lot of flavour and vibrancy. I feel like I’m quite a down to earth person, so it shouldn’t be an issue to meet a lover or a friend.’

She sums up her dating history as ‘random. Everyone I’ve dated have all been quite different. I don’t think I have ever been out with two guys who are quite the same.’

Boasting almost 11,000 followers on Instagram, Indiyah has modelled for names such as Lounge Underwear, Boohoo and Bold Cosmetics. 

The fourth Islander to be revealed is Liam Llewellyn, 22, from Newport, South Wales. A Masters Student in Strength and Conditioning, Liam says he feels at 22 he is ready to settle down.

‘I think 22 is a really nice age to meet someone, you’ve got your years ahead of you so you have time to experience stuff and grow together,’ he says.

‘I think Love Island is a great opportunity to meet someone, you’re in with a load of different types, so you can get to grips with what you really like about people.’

Asked how his friends and family would describe him, the Welsh hunk adds: ‘If you ask my mum, probably a little s**t. No, I’m a good kid, she knows that. They’d probably say quite generous, quite caring, happy, chatty, chirpy, bubbly. I wear my heart on my sleeve, I can’t hide how I feel about anyone. I’m probably quite emotional as well come to think about it.’

The charmer reveals that given the chance to impress a girl his tactic is to ‘pay them a compliment! The thing that girls quite like is that I’m not just like, “You’re mint.” I’m like, “Your eyes are piercing, I’m lost in your eyes.” Or I’ll say something like, “You’ve got nice feet” or something.’

Tasha Ghouri, 23, from Thirsk is a model and dancer and the show’s first ever deaf contestant. The blonde beauty, who was born deaf, went viral last year when she showed her cochlear implant in a earring commercial for fast fashion brand ASOS. She said at the time: ‘No matter what disability you’ve got, you can do it’.

The gorgeous blonde admits that her ‘dating life has been a shambles. This is an opportunity for me to find ‘the one’ and have a great summer at the same time.’

‘I’m definitely ready for a relationship. I’m 23 now so I’m ready to get to know someone, go on holidays and travel with them.

She adds that her family and friends would describe her ‘as wild. I can get very wild on a night out, I’m definitely a party animal. I love my prosecco and to have a dance – I’m always on the dance floor.’

‘I’m very loyal to my friends and family, I’ll always have their backs. I’m the type of person to put others before me. They would definitely say I’m a nap queen – I love napping!’

‘I think they’d also say I’m inspirational because of my hearing and my cochlear implant. I inspire quite a lot of people because I’m really open about it.’

Despite saying she is loyal, Tash adds that she is ultimately on the show to find love and not to make friends, explaining: ‘It’s a tough one because I’m a girls’ girl but it is a dating show and I’m here to find my man. I may have to step on toes but I’ll do it in the nicest way possible.’

Self declared ‘Italian Stallion’ Davide Sanclimenti, 27, is originally from Rome but now lives in Manchester where he owns his own business.  

‘With my Italian charm, I can be a very romantic guy. I’m good looking and I’ve realised since I first arrived in Manchester, a lot of English girls actually love me,’ he reveals.

‘They love to be around me and I love to be around them. It’s going to be fun, I’m looking forward to it. I want to find my soulmate, find my person so I can actually build something in the future, grow with them, be a family.’

‘I’m 27 now, I’m getting serious about my life and my goals. My biggest dream is to find someone I can spend the rest of my life with,’ adding that his loved ones ‘would say that I’ve got a good heart, I’m a very deep person. For the people around me, I’m always there, ready to support and help them in a moment of need.’

Meanwhile, the brand new Love Island villa finally looks near completion. The original Mallorcan Love Island villa was sold back in March for €3m, (£2.57m) and the new location has been unveiled.

New images last week showed that a fire pit has been constructed inside the new six-bedroom mansion where contestants will gather for eliminations and recouplings.

This year’s islanders will have plenty of space in the villa’s outdoor area which also features a 20m swimming pool with a stunning view of the Mallorcan countryside.

Workmen were seen roaming around the outdoor area as they put the finishing touches to the property, which has a more rustic feel than the previous villa.

It was revealed earlier this year that bosses for the popular ITV2 dating series had started hunting for a new space in a bid to ‘enhance the show’, after filming at the same property for five years.

The new property sits at the foot of a hill in a rural area of the island. Season one and two of Love Island was filmed at a property in southern Majorca’s Santanyi region before being moved to Sant Llorenç des Cardassar in the north-east. 

This year’s contestants will be given inclusivity training, round the clock access to mental health experts and bespoke guidance on how to cope with instant fame as part of an extensive care package implemented ahead of its latest series.

Producers have ensured its latest crop of singletons are given plenty of professional guidance as part of their duty of care protocol – before, during and after their stay in the Spanish villa.

Ahead of this series, contestants will be offered video training and guidance covering appropriate inclusive language around disability, sexuality, race and ethnicity, as well as general behaviours and microaggressions. 

Pre-filming psychological and medical assessments, including reviews conducted by an independent doctor, psychological consultant and reports from each Islander’s own GP to check their respective medical histories, are also required. 

The inclusion training, which Islanders are offered prior to entering the Villa, consists of conversations chaired by BCOMS (Black Collective of Media in Sport) founder Leon Mann MBE.

It also included DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) consultant Hayley Bennett, disability specialist Shani Dhanda and broadcaster Sean Fletcher. 

The discussions have been devised to tackle topics including inclusive language, behaviour, creating safe spaces and being a good ally. 

Additionally, prospective Islanders will watch a video fronted by the show’s executive producer and head of welfare interviewing former Islanders about their experiences on the show. 

This includes details on the two week period before they enter the Villa, how to cope being filmed 24 hours a day, the interaction they will have with producers in the Villa, the support provided to family members, dealing with social media trolling, and adapting to life away from the show. 

As always registered mental health professional engaged throughout the whole series – from pre-filming to aftercare.  

Potential Islanders are also required to fully disclose in confidence any medical history that would be relevant to their inclusion in the Villa and the production’s ability to provide a suitable environment for them.

The cast will also be told they should consider all the potential implications of taking part in the show – in particular the negative feedback they might receive on social media – and work through this decision-making process with their families. 

It comes after Love Island previously addressed their duty of care after two islanders; Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis, and host Caroline Flack, tragically died by suicide within a period of 20 months. 

Meanwhile, Love Island is reportedly set for another series’ as ‘bosses begin plans for a 2023 winter’ edition, just a week before the summer cast are set the enter the villa.

ITV aired its first winter series in South Africa in January 2020, which was won by Paige Turley and Finn Tapp, having previously started in June every year since 2015.

Love Island starts at 9pm Monday 6th June on ITV2 and ITV Hub. Episodes are available the following morning on BritBox