Love Island 2021 cast CONFIRMED – latest line-up as sexy singletons revealed for UK series 7
Meet the Love Islanders 2021: A Nando’s waitress, civil servant, Princess Beatrice’s wedding host and the show’s first ever disabled contestant are CONFIRMED for new series
- Love Island bosses have released the names of the contestants headed to the 2021 series
- Early names announced included Nando’s waitress Liberty Poole, 21, civil servant Sharon Gaffka, 25, PE teacher Hugo Hammond, 24, and glamour model Sharon Singh, 22
- The pandemic resulted in last year’s summer series being postponed and fans are eagerly awaiting the new series following the ITV2 juggernaut’s extended break
- Each confirmed contestant will be given thorough psychological and medical assessments by health experts before, during and after the series as part of the show’s duty of care protocols
- Love Island returns on Monday June 28 at 9pm on ITV2 and the ITVHub – it is hosted by Laura Whitmore
- Got a story about the Love Island contestants? Email tips@dailymail.com
- Latest Love Island news and updates from the Series 7 contestants right here
Love Island bosses have released the names of the contestants headed to the 2021 series
Early announcements revealed that Nando’s waitress Liberty Poole, civil servant Sharon Gaffka, the show’s first ever disabled star, PE teacher Hugo Hammond, model Shannon Singh, water engineer Jake Cornish and fashion blogger Kaz Kamwi are all looking for love as they join a slew of singletons preparing to enter the villa next week.
The list of rising stars headed for the famous Majorca villa, include Hugo, who previously played for England Physical Disabilities Cricket squad, as well as love-seeking Liberty and self-professed party girl Shannon.
The pandemic resulted in last year’s series being postponed and fans are eagerly awaiting the new series following the ITV2 juggernaut’s extended break. Each confirmed contestant will be given thorough psychological and medical assessments by health experts before, during and after the series as part of new duty of care protocols.
Talking ahead of entering the famous Majorca villa, Sharon, 25, who is Operations Lead for Department of Transport and beauty queen, joked that she is the most ‘outrageous’ one out of her group of friends.
Hugo, 24, spoke about his disability saying: ‘I’ve actually played cricket for England PD (Physical Disability). I’ve been to Bangladesh, Dubai, I’ve been everywhere to play cricket. I was born with clubfoot…
‘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.’
Discussing what he is looking for in the house, he said: ‘I’ve been single for a while now. With the current climate, it’s been really hard to get back into dating. I saw it as an opportunity to have an amazing fun summer’.
Brave: Beauty queen Sharon’s social media shows her past as a beauty queen
Wow! Aaron worked at the 2020 BRITs where he networked with the likes of Billie Eilish and Stormzy
Hot stuff: Kaz has teased her sizzling style with fans on social media ahead of her stint on the show
It comes after MailOnline revealed on Friday that model and luxury events host, Aaron Francis, 24, who worked on Princess Beatrice’s wedding, was the first Islander to be unveiled – with the news also confirmed on Monday.
Waitress Liberty, 21, who is also a marketing student, admitted that she has never had a ‘nice’ or ‘happy relationship’ – something she is hoping to experience in the villa.
Aaron, 24, said he has been single for about ‘six or seven months’ due to the dating world being a ‘little bit off’ during the pandemic, with Hugo, 24, admitted he has been single for a ‘while now’.
LOVE ISLAND 2021: MEET THE CONTESTANTS
Sharon Gaffka, 25
Name: Sharon Gaffka
Age: 25
Location: Oxford
Occupation: Civil Servant – Operations Lead for Department of Transport
Who is their type on paper? ‘I tend to date someone who is taller than me, even though my last long-term partner, he was actually someone who was shorter than me.
‘I’m quite an intellectual person so I want someone who can kind of match that.’
Aaron Francis, 24
Name: Aaron Francis
Age: 24
Location: London
Occupation: Luxury Events Host
Who is their type on paper? ‘I need someone that is passionate about what they are doing – from scientist to anything – you can tell when someone is speaking about something and they are actually smiling while they are talking. I love that.
‘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.’
Liberty Poole, 21
Name: Liberty Poole
Age: 21
Location: Birmingham
Occupation: Nando’s Waitress and Marketing Student
Who is their type on paper? ‘So I like tall, alpha male, confident, a cheeky chappy sort of guy.
‘But obviously that’s always usually combined with player types, which is where I go wrong. So I am trying to change my ways and go for more of a nicer guy that is going to treat me right.’
Hugo Hammond, 24
Name: Hugo Hammond
Age: 24
Location: Hampshire
Occupation: PE Teacher
Who is their type on paper? ‘I’ve been single for a while now. With the current climate, it’s been really hard to get back into dating.
‘I saw it as an opportunity to have an amazing fun summer and put myself back out there.’
Shannon Singh
Name: Shannon Singh
Age: 22
Location: Fife
Occupation: Glamour model
Who is their type on paper? ‘I don’t feed off looks, I feed off energy, I need someone with personality. Just someone I can have fun with.
‘I’m a party girl, I love going out, I’m very social. For me it’s quite hard to find people who are genuine and looking for what you’re looking for’
Jake Cornish
Name: Jake Cornish
Age: 24
Location: Weston-super-Mare
Occupation: Water Engineer
Who is their type on paper? ‘Looks wise, always gone for blondes. But for me, the main thing is having respect and having good fun, and someone who will be loyal to you…
‘I’ve had messages from girls that have got boyfriends and husbands. This is why I don’t trust anyone. Someone who is loyal really. But when I’m single, I like having a good time!
Kaz Kamwi
Name: Kaz Kamwi
Age: 26
Location: Essex
Occupation: Fashion Blogger
Who is their type on paper? ‘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
Name: Brad McClelland
Age: 26
Location: Northumberland
Occupation: Labourer
Who is their type on paper? Sommer Ray from Instagram. Zara McDermott, she’s a good-looking lass. Or Megan Fox.
Speaking about her decision to take part, Sharon 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!’
Speaking about her work as a civil servant, Sharon continued: ‘I’ve been a civil servant since I was 18. I’ve worked in lots of different departments.
‘I’ve been doing Brexit policy for the last year, I did a stint during the Coronavirus pandemic in the Department of Health so I was helping deliver testing kits and managing the operations. It’s been an intense year!’
Sharon, who won Miss International UK in 2018, also revealed what she is looking for in her future partner, teasing that she wants someone who is taller and ‘quite intellectual’.
She said: ‘I have this thing where if something doesn’t work out with one person, I’ll try and go for the other extreme to see if that works out.
‘I tend to date someone who is taller than me, even though my last long-term partner, he was actually someone who was shorter than me. I’m quite an intellectual person so I want someone who can kind of match that.’
Meanwhile, Nando’s waitress and marketing student Liberty said of her decision to take part: ‘I’ve never had that nice, happy relationship so I think it will be nice and something for me to experience.
‘Obviously I want the best summer ever because we have been in lockdown for a year so it would be nice to go away and enjoy the sun and make friends as well. I’m excited, I’m a bit of a social butterfly so I love to meet new people. I’m a girls’ girl as well so I can’t wait for the girly friendships. It’s going to be fun!’
Talking about her job as a waitress at Nando’s, Liberty admitted that she has had a few awkward encounters but insisted she has never had a date at the famous eatery.
Decision: Meanwhile, Nando’s waitress and marketing student Liberty said of her decision to take part: ‘I’ve never had that nice, happy relationship so I think it will be nice and something for me to experience’
The Islander said: ‘I’ve had people try and rinse me for a date at Nando’s, get the discount and stuff. But I’ve never had a date in one…
‘I’ve had a few things happen at work. I’ve had a napkin shaped as a rose given to me which was cute, that was when I first started working there and then I’ve been proposed to. It was a bit unexpected!
‘He was on his own, he’d come into the restaurant every week and he got down on one knee and was like, “Will you marry me?”. But in his hand, it was a charity support badge not a diamond ring or nothing. So I was thinking, that’s one way of saying I’m a charity case when it comes to love!’
Hot stuff: Sharon regularly shares sexy images on social media
Liberty also revealed what she is looking for in her future partner, teasing that she wants someone who is taller and a ‘confident, a cheeky chappy sort of guy’.
She said: ‘So I like tall, alpha male, confident, a cheeky chappy sort of guy…
‘But obviously that’s always usually combined with player types, which is where I go wrong. So I am trying to change my ways and go for more of a nicer guy that is going to treat me right. ‘
Glamour model Shannon spoke of her career, saying: ‘I used to be a glamour model when I was 18/19. I loved those days, I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of, they were my glory days… Now I’m more on Instagram/ YouTube. I’ve done a bit of commercial modelling. I can DJ as well.’
Upping the glam: Shannon Singh will be sure to up the glamour in the villa – as she revealed: ‘I don’t feed off looks, I feed off energy, I need someone with personality. Just someone I can have fun with. I’m a party girl, I love going out, I’m very social’
Earlier this year, appearing on the Who’s Your Daddy podcast, Shannon gave a raunchy insight into her sex life, saying: ‘I am very sexually active, I have sex like eight times a day…
‘Not every day but I have a lot of sex. I am very sexually active. I had sex in the morning yesterday, then in a toilet, then in the afternoon. I quite like a bit of rough and tough. I kind of like it rough and I love a bit of morning sex. I love it.’
She went on: ‘I lost my virginity quite young, I have always been mature for my age. I regret losing it so young. But I was sexually active from a young age. I have always been really confident…
‘When I first started to do glamour my Instagram was so raunchy. I used to have topless photos with censored nipple. I think sexy content is empowering. I don’t do those pictures any more as I am trying to be more commercial. I have never done full nude, you have glamour and you have porn.’
Next in the confirmed line-up is Kaz. When asked why she took part in the series, fashion blogger Kaz 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?…
‘I’m fun, dramatic, spontaneous. Friendly as well. Light-hearted. Life is a party – I’m not the mum in the group, my friends are not looking at me to look after them!’
Wow! Kaz is no doubt going to send temperatures soaring as she enters the villa
Revealing the worst date she ever went on, Kaz said: ‘A guy asked me out for dinner and he was ‘mystery dining’ the restaurant. I will never get over the fact that he made me pay, while he got to eat for free and he made me sit there while he did his review.
Jake Cornish, a 24-year-old water engineer from Weston-super-Mare, revealed he is excited to hit screens following the demise of his seven year relationship in lockdown.
He said: ‘I was in a relationship for seven years and then when lockdown hit, I was single. The opportunity is there, you might as well take it by the horns and go for it.’
Sizzling: Jake Cornish, a 24-year-old water engineer from Weston-super-Mare, revealed he is excited to hit screens following the demise of his seven year relationship in lockdown
Hunky: Jake’s Instagram account is littered with bulked up snaps
On his dream woman, he said: ‘My ideal woman is Billie Faiers. She is my dream woman. I think for a laugh once with the boys, I messaged her. I can’t remember what I messaged her. She’s a lady, she’s just lush.’
Next into the villa is Brad McClelland, a 26-year-old labourer from Northumberland.
When asked what made him want to take part, he said: ‘I want to date face-to-face, I like meeting people…
‘I’m easy going, laid back. Who wouldn’t want to be in a nice villa in a hot country for a while?’
Alongside the announcements, ITV also released a series of stunning snaps of the confirmed contestants from a photoshoot ahead of the new series.
It comes after MailOnline revealed the first contestant to be officially unveiled by Love Island for this summer’s comeback series on Friday as Aaron.
The news was confirmed by ITV2 on Monday with Aaron revealing he has been single for about ‘six or seven months’ due to the dating world being a ‘little bit off’ during the pandemic.
Hunky! Next into the villa is Brad McClelland, a 26-year-old labourer from Northumberland
The luxury events host, 24, also shared that he ‘hosted and chatted’ at Princess Beatrice’s wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi over the summer.
Aaron also worked on Princess Eugenie’s big day when she married Jack Brooksbank in October 2018.
He said: ‘Yeah, Eugenie and Beatrice’s 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.’
Talking about his decision to take part, the luxury events host said: ‘I’ve been single for about six or seven months and the dating world at the moment is a little bit off.
Exciting! It comes after MailOnline revealed the first contestant to be officially unveiled by Love Island for this summer’s comeback series on Friday as Aaron – with the news confirmed on Monday
‘Everyone’s wearing masks. You can’t really see anyone which makes dating a lot harder. I do prefer relationships than dating.’
Teasing his criteria for a future partner, Aaron said: ‘I need someone that is passionate about what they are doing – from scientist to anything – you can tell when someone is speaking about something and they are actually smiling while they are talking.
‘I love that. 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.’
The pandemic resulted in last year’s summer series being postponed and fans are eagerly awaiting the new series following the ITV2 juggernaut’s extended break.
Impressive CV: Aaron ‘hosted and chatted’ at Princess Beatrice’s wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi last summer
It’s rumoured the British series may experience a crossover with its US counterpart, as both are being filmed at the same time, but bosses have yet to confirm the audacious move to ensure plot surprises are kept under-wraps.
Each confirmed contestant will be given thorough psychological and medical assessments by health experts before, during and after the series as part of the show’s duty of care protocols.
And every Islander must fully disclose their medical history to ensure the environment of the villa is suitable.
The 2021 summer series will be hosted by Laura Whitmore who featured in the show’s big teaser advert last week.
The hit ITV2 dating show has not aired since February 2020 after both the summer 2020 and winter 2021 editions were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Love Island returns on Monday June 28 at 9pm on ITV2 and the ITVHub.
