With just days to go until Love Island launches its first ever winter series, we’ve now been introduced to the 12 hopefuls who’ll be looking for romance in the new South African villa.
This time around, seven girls and five boys will be joining the series, and while those who’ve taken issue in the past with the lack of body diversity and LGBTQ representation on the show may well be disappointed, there’s still an interesting mix of characters, including a pair of twins, a future “lord of the manor” and the sister of singer and TV personality Rochelle Humes.
Don’t forget, though, that as the days roll on and the contestants begin coupling up, ITV will be chucking in a few bombshells to ruffle feathers and prove that the course of true love never does run smoothly.
Anyway, fancy meeting the new batch of contestants? Well, here they are, starting with the girls...
Eve and Jess Gale
Age: 20
Job: Students and VIP hostesses
What do we need to know? Well, there’s two of them, for one thing. Eve and Jess are the first female twins to ever grace the Love Island villas, but they’ve already insisted that we won’t see them fighting over guys in the villa, as they’ve got “so much respect” for one another.
“Some boys will be messaging me and Jessica at the same time,” Eve revealed. “I don’t think they think we talk.”
Punctuality is apparently an issue for both sisters (good luck to Love Island bosses getting them out of bed for tasks), while they’ve both named Anthony Joshua as their number one celeb crush.
Leanne Amaning
Age: 22
Job: Customer service advisor
What do we need to know? Originally from London, Leanne describes herself as a 10/10, joking: “If you don’t love yourself, who will?”
She also says she’s done with “rude” men, claiming: “I’m good with banter but if someone is too rude, I don’t like it.”
Interestingly, Leanne says she doesn’t consider herself a particularly open person, and hopes being in the Love Island villa can change that, saying she’s looking for a Gerard Butler type on the show, and insists: “If I want something, I’ll get it.”
Paige Turley
Age: 22
Job: Singer
What do we need to know? Paige originally hails from West Lothian, and if that place rings a bell, that’s probably because it’s the hometown of chart-topping singer Lewis Capaldi, who just happens to be her ex.
“We went out when we were younger, I was about 17 or 18,” she explains. “We were together for about a year. It ended really amicably and we’re still pals.”
She now says she’s looking for a “tall, dark and handsome” man to find love with, naming Tom Hardy as her top celebrity crush.
And like fellow West Lothian resident Susan Boyle, Paige is also a former Britain’s Got Talent star, making it through to the semi-finals in 2012.
Shaughna Phillips
Age: 25
Job: Democratic services officer (oooh!)
What do we need to know? Shaughna describes herself as “always right” and says she’s looking for a guy who’s smart, but still not quite as smart as herself.
“I want someone I can watch the news with and have a conversation about it,” she explains, perhaps revealing in the process that she’s never actually watched an episode of Love Island.
She also says her best feature is her lips (“I spent enough money on them!” she jokes) and says she has a zero-tolerance attitude to cheating, after her last boyfriend was unfaithful to her.
Siânnise Fudge
Age: 25
Job: Beauty consultant
What do we need to know? Not only does she boast the best name in Love Island history (Siânnise Fudge, how fabulous), Siânnise also goes by the nicknames “Eyebrow Queen” and “Princess Jasmine”, claiming she’s “looking for her own Aladdin”.
Originally from Bristol, Siânnise says her ideal man is Anthony Joshua or “90s Leonardo DiCaprio”, commenting that she’s “experienced quite a lot of men” and therefore “knows what she’s looking for”.
Describing herself as “sassy and fun”, she also says her party trick is the moonwalk, which we can no doubt expect to see her break out in the villa at the first available opportunity.
Sophie Piper
Age: 21
Occupation: Medical PA
What do we need to know? First of all, as you can probably see for yourself, Sophie is the sister of former The Saturdays star Rochelle Humes, and has actually been rumoured for Love Island once or twice in the past.
After finally landing a spot in the villa, Sophie says she’s looking for someone who’s “kind with something about them” and who “doesn’t take themselves too seriously”.
Another Anthony Joshua fan, Sophie can also balance a Malteser in her cheek dimples which she describes as her best feature (the dimples, not the trick).
Callum Jones
Age: 23
Job: Scaffolder
What do we need to know? Describing himself as a “cheeky chap” (good grief) with “builders’ banter” (good grief!), Callum originally hails from Manchester, saying he “always” fancies girls with “dark hair, tanned skin, red lipstick and white nail polish”.
Well, it’s good to not be too specific, isn’t it?
Callum says he loves to cook, which could well make him popular in the villa, and warns he’s “prepared to go pretty far to get the girl”.
Connor Durman
Age: 25
Job: Coffee bean salesman (amazing).
What do we need to know? Connor recently returned home after four years of living in Australia, an experience that he says has really helped him grow up.
“I’ve got so many new and different life experiences,” he says of his time in Australia, where he briefly worked as a “naked waiter”. “I’ve had two big relationships, one good, one bad. I think I’ve gone through a lot. I’m mature now and I know what I want.”
He says his ideal woman has a “big personality” and “easy going”, but should also be “loving” and not “embarrassed to show it in front of people”.
Connor is also a romantic, revealing he once surprised a girl on a first date with a reserved spot at an outdoor cinema to watch A Star Is Born with a bottle of champagne.
Mike Boateng
Age: 24
Occupation: Police officer
What do we need to know? Mike is confident that he can charm the girls in the Love Island villa this winter, describing himself as “charming and charismatic”.
Referring to himself as an 8/10, he notes: “I have piercing eyes that look into your soul.”
The London-born police officer says he’s looking for an “ambitious” and “beautiful” women with “lots of personality”, naming Rihanna and Beyoncé as his ideal woman.
We’re not sure they’ll be in the villa, Mike, but we do have a former BGT semi-finalist and Rochelle Humes’ sister, if that works for you?
Nas Majeed
Age: 23
Job: Builder
What do we need to know? A sports science graduate, Nas says he’s not like anyone who’s ever been on Love Island in the last five years, noting: “I’m funny, always myself, caring and considerate. I’m a well-rounded person.”
Naming Aladdin and Charlie’s Angels star Naomi Scott as his ideal woman, Nas says he’s on the look-out for a girl who is “cute and funny” and can “match his energy”.
We can apparently look forward to Nas “laughing in awkward situation” and showing off his party trick of... bird noises. Interesting.
Ollie Williams
Age: 23
Job: Land owner / heir to the Lanhydrock estate
What do we need to know? The first ever member of the aristocracy to appear on Love Island, Ollie’s dad is the “Lord of the Manor of Lanhydrock”.
He explains: “When my father passes away or abdicates, as the eldest child, I will take on the titles and the estate. I’m the heir of Lanhydrock.”
Ollie says he knows how to throw a “bloody awesome party” (“think Gatsby but with better fireworks,” apparently), and describes himself as a 10/10 for looks, naming his body as his best feature “closely followed by his wit”.
Asked for his best chat-up line, Ollie offers: ”‘Do you know Polzeath beach in Cornwall? I own it.’ That’s it. Chat up line, done.”
We reckon he’s going to be a one to watch this series...
Find out how the new Love Island contestants get on when the new series debuts on Sunday night at 9pm on ITV2.