Love Island is just days away from its new series premiere which can only mean one thing: summer is officially here! A whole new hoard of lucky singletons are making their way to sunny Mallorca in the hopes of finding love this summer.
Presenter Maya Jama will be fronting the dating show once again, but which contestants will be walking through the iconic villa doors? Take a look at the official line-up…
Ruchee Gurung
Beautician Ruchee Gurung is joining the summer line-up in the hopes of finding love, admitting that she's "a relationship kind of girl, but so far it's not worked out for me".
The 24-year-old, who hails from Sutton, describes herself as "really caring". "I'm also really loyal and love doing nice things for the people that are special to me," she says. "My love language is gift giving, so I'm a real giver when it comes to relationships."
On what gives her 'the ick', she says: "Guys with no ambition.
"I also get the ick if I see a guy wearing white jeans and red trainers. Another one is super skinny jeans when they look like leggings. Fashion is such an important thing for me. If I go on a date and the guy isn’t wearing something I like, I’m going home."
Tyrique Hyde
24-year-old Tyrique is a semi-professional footballer who is planning to bring "vibes, confidence, good energy and honesty" to the villa. "I don't sit on the fence, if I have an opinion I will speak up. I'm also not afraid to go after what I want," he says.
The Essex-born sportsman is "best friends" with former Love Island star Toby Aromolaran, who appeared on season seven. The pair grew up together and attended the same school.
One fact that he would like his fellow islanders to know is that he is deaf in his right ear. " I have a tattoo next to my left one that symbolises strength and power in my good one," he says.
Molly Marsh
Molly is heading into the villa this year in a bid to find 'the one' and believes the show is the "perfect way" to find someone. "I don't go out and party and I don’t use dating apps, I'm actually quite old-fashioned, so there's no better way to meet someone than by going into a Villa in the sun with the potential 'one' in there," says the 21-year-old.
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While Molly, who hails from Doncaster, is the daughter of Coronation Street actress Janet Marsh, she's a star in her own rights as she works as a musical theatre performer, performing in several pantomimes. She's also a social media creator and has a strong fanbase with 41.8k followers on Instagram.
George Fensom
Bedford-born George says the most important quality he looks for in a partner is "drive". "I want them to be passionate about something, whether it’s a job or enjoying trips to the zoo on Saturdays."
He also admits: "I prefer a girl who is naturally good looking, and someone who has even more banter than me- although I don't believe that’s physically possible. I think those three qualities make for a perfect mix in a partner."
The 24-year-old, who works as a business development executive, says he's "the first person to bring the vibe up" and plans to bring his "dad jokes and dad dancing" to the villa.
Catherine Agbaje
22-year-old Catherine is "always smiling, always happy and always laughing". The Dublin-based commercial real estate agent describes herself as "fun, flirty and never boring".
Although people usually assume her teeth are veneers, they are in fact real. Another lesser known fact is that she has two degrees. "I have my undergrad and my masters in Psychology and Sociology and Real Estate," she says.
Mehdi Edno
French model Mehdi admits that he's had a "busy schedule" for the last few years with work and doing a masters degree, but is now "ready to find love".
The 26-year-old, who split his time between Bordeaux and London, also works as a communications manager.
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As for his type on paper, Mehdi says: "Looks are important but they aren’t everything, a good sense of humour and someone who is outgoing and up for an adventure is what I’m looking for."
Ella Thomas
23-year-old model Ella says she's "the whole package". "I know what I want in life and I've got a big heart."
Love Island isn't her first screen debut as she previously appeared in a Headie One and Burna Burna Boy music video and I was once an extra in World War Z. "I was 12 years old when I filmed it and got to meet Brad Pitt which was cool," she says.
Mitchel Taylor
Sheffield-born Mitchel works as a gas engineer and admits he's had his fun as a single man but now wants to "settle down".
"I thrive on being a gentleman. I’ll shower you with flowers, I’ll take you on dates, I’ll fill your bedside drawer with your favourite sweets and chocolate."
As for why he's single, Mitchel says: "I'm just really picky. I've got to find the girl that I want to marry and have kids with.
"I'm nearly 27, I don't want to play the field anymore, I want to find the one."
Jess Harding
Aesthetics practitioner Jess says she has a "heart of gold" but can stand up for herself if she needs to. Describing herself, she says: "I'm honest, and I love, love. I'm also a really good girlfriend."
On what gives her 'the ick', the 21-year-old says: "When a guy stunts for money, that’s an ick. Showing off all their designer clothes because most of the time they’re probably fake anyway!
"Another one is when a boy runs for the train and the train goes without him. Lunch Boxes also - just go to Tesco and get a meal deal!"
André Furtado
Dudley-based André plans to bring his "good looks and some language lessons" to the villa this summer. "I'm going to teach the other Islanders Portuguese, Spanish and a little bit of Creole. I think I've got every slice of the pie."
The 21-year-old business owner added: "I would say I fall too quickly to be honest. When I look at beautiful ladies, before I've said hello to them I've already fallen in love. I'm already planning the wedding."
Bombshells
Zachariah Noble
25-year-old Zachariah describes himself as "chilled out", "straight forward" and "completely myself 100% of the time".
On why someone would want to date him, he said: "I’m pretty tall and I’m confident in myself. In this day and age I think being genuine is rare and I’m very genuine. What you see is what you get."
The personal trainer and basketball player, who hails from south-east London, believes in love at first sight. "I think that you can sense people’s energies as soon as you meet them. Love isn’t something you pick to be in, it’s something that happens when it happens. I wouldn’t say I’m closed off but I like things to be really natural and organic."
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