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Love Island 2021: Show Casts Its First Disabled Contestant

Kimberley Bond

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| Last updated 

Love Island 2021: Show Casts Its First Disabled Contestant

Featured Image Credit: ITV

Love Island 2021 has cast its first disabled contestant for its upcoming seventh season.

Hugo Hammond, from Hampshire, was born with clubfoot. The PE teacher has also played disability cricket for England, and has spoken out about the treatment he's had to help with his condition.

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"I had lots of operations when I was a kid. You can only really tell when I walk barefoot," the 24-year-old explained ahead of the start of the season. "I've got a really short Achilles heel. I walk slightly on my tip toes."

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The starting line-up, which was announced earlier this week, saw a brand new bevvy of Islanders getting ready to crack on in the now infamous Majorcan villa.

Hugo is the first Love Island contestant with a physical disability (Credit: Instagram - hugohammond)
Hugo is the first Love Island contestant with a physical disability (Credit: Instagram - hugohammond)

Our new Islanders include a civil servant, a Nando's waitress and a former glamour model.

Last summer's edition of Love Island was cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

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Hugo has played disability cricket for England (Credit: ITV)
Hugo has played disability cricket for England (Credit: ITV)

The last series we saw was the show's very first Winter edition in January 2020, seeing another set of singletons head to South Africa to find The One (or at the very least, a tooth whitening sponsorship).

Paige Turley and her boyfriend Findlay Tapp were voted the winners in February, and have since stayed together.

Host Laura Whitmore, who started presenting Love Island last year, shared her excitement to be back at the helm of one of TV's best-loved shows.

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Laura Whitmore has expressed her excitement at heading up the new series (Credit: ITV)
Laura Whitmore has expressed her excitement at heading up the new series (Credit: ITV)

"I think we're all ready for some love!" she wrote on her Instagram page.

"So excited to watch the new islanders. Hope you enjoy talking about them and following their journey and just a reminder to treat them with love, compassion and respect when they leave the show and go back to real life."

In a special nod to the show's late presenter Caroline Flack, Laura added: "Caroline I hope we do you proud. One week to go!"

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Love Island kicks off on Monday 28th June at 9pm on ITV2. We're counting down the seconds already...

Topics: TV News, TV & Film, Love Island, ITV

Kimberley Bond
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