Love Island 2021 casts show's first ever disabled contestant, PE teacher and ex-England cricketer Hugo Hammond
The news follows premises of improved representation in the villa.
Get ready for some fun in the sun as Love Island 2021 gets underway next Monday, 28th June, and that means we have an array of beautiful people entering the villa who all hope that they will find love and win the competition.
And, in extremely welcome news, we have a contestant with a disability taking part this year with the addition of PE teacher, Hugo Hammond.
Hugo was revealed along with the other Love Island 2021 contestants today (21st June) as the show gets ready to kick off next week and it seems we will be in for quite the ride with them all, with a fun mix of people taking part this year.
As for Hugo, he was born with Congenital Talipes Equino-Varus, which is where a baby has their feet pointed down and inwards at birth.
Speaking about the condition, he has said: "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 tiptoes."
But his disability has not stopped him from chasing his sporting dreams and as well as inspiring the next generation of athletes through his school job, he has played cricket at a high level for England PD (Physical Disability) and has travelled the world while doing it, visiting places including Dubai.
- For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 guides.
"I teach secondary school PE. Absolutely love my job. I love all my sports. It’s great to be able to pass on that enthusiasm to be physically active to the younger generation and hopefully, they feel the same about me teaching them."
So it does not sound like he has any plans to give up his day job any time soon - but we all know that Love Island can provide the contestants with some great opportunities after the show ends, so who knows where his path will take him when he says goodbye to the villa?
As for what made him join the show, Higo 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 and put myself back out there."
Love Island returns to ITV2 on Monday 28th June. While you’re waiting, check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
