Love Island has started to reveal the first contestants set to take part in the upcoming season. The new series will be only the second to be held in winter, the first since 2020 due to the Coronaviruspandemic. The first islander to be announced is biomedical student Tanya Manhenga. Tanya is a biomedical student from Liverpool, and currently boasts almost 15,000 followers on Instagram. Speaking ahead of her arrival in the villa, she opened up on what she wants from her Love Island experience. She said: "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." Tanya also added: "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." As well as a student, she is also an influencer, referring to herself as a ‘digital creator’ on her social media profile. She has worked with a string of fashion brands including Boohoo as well as show brands Ego and Simmi Shoes. The new season is also set to bring a new host. Last year, news broke of Laura Whitmore leaving the show after three years. Many people were rumoured to be taking over including former Islander Maura Higgins, but it was Maya Jama who landed the job. A whole host of singleton’s will head off to South Africa looking for love but they will have a lot to live up to with the last season of Love Island labelled one of the best ever. It was eventually won by fan favourites Davide and Ekin-Su, finishing ahead of runners-up Luca Bish and Gemma Owen. The previous winter series was won by Finley Tapp and Paige Turley, who are still going strong. Love Island will return on ITV 2 at 9pm on Monday, January 16.
