Who is Tanya Manhenga? Meet Love Island 2023 contestant and biomedical science student

Nevertheless, they found their way back to one another and all the way to the Love Island 2023 final.

So, could Tanya and Shaq be this year's winners?

Fans will have to wait until the end of the episode to find out which couple will walk away with the £50,000 cash prize.

And it's all up to the public to vote for their favourite couple.

As we wait for Maya Jama to announce this year's champs, read on for everything you need to know about Tanya Manhenga - one of the Love Island 2023 cast members.

Tanya Manhenga – key facts

Age: 23

Job: Biomedical science student and influencer

From: Liverpool

Instagram: @talkswithtt_

Coupled up with: Shaq Muhammad

How old is Tanya on Love Island?

Biomedical science student Tanya is 23-years-old. She was 22 when she joined the show, but celebrated her 23rd birthday while in the villa on 31st January.

The Liverpudlian singleton told RadioTimes.com and other press that she started her application for the show and didn't finish it, but received a call from producers whilst at university.

"I got a phone call when I was at uni, saying, 'Are you still interested?' And I was like, 'Well, yeah! I'm still single.' And that's just how it started from there."

Why did Tanya want to take part in Love Island?

Ahead of appearing on the show, Tanya said she is "looking for a boyfriend", adding that "being in a villa with lots of different people will help me work out who it is I may want".

Is Tanya on Instagram?

Yes indeed - and you can follow her over on @talkswithtt_, where Tanya has 15,000 followers, a number that's sure to shoot up once the show kicks off.

The influencer has already worked with fashion brands like Boohoo and Ego footwear, and two weeks ago, she dropped a major hint about her Love Island adventure, sharing a photo of herself posing by a Christmas tree with the caption "calm before the storm".

Don't expect to see any new posts from Tanya for a while, though. For the first time in the show's history, Love Island contestants will not be allowed to have active social media profiles during this season as part of updated duty of care protocols.

Previously, islanders have tended to hand over control of their accounts to a family member or close friend during their stint in the villa, but now their accounts will remain dormant for the duration.

What is Tanya looking for in a partner?

Tanya hasn't yet revealed too much about her type on paper - but she made it pretty clear what she's not looking for from her potential love interests, listing her turn-offs before entering the villa.

Ahead of joining the show, the Love Island hopeful said that she immediately gets the 'ick' if men "don't wear socks in the house", adding: "Why are your feet flapping all around the house?" Will she be enforcing her socks rule in the South African heat, though?

It's also bad news for men who "have huge feet", and anyone wishing to woo her should always make sure that their baths are filled with bubbles, as "guys in the bathtub with no bubbles [are] such an ick, no". You've got to admire the specificity...

Love Island is airing on ITV2 and ITVX at 9pm. Previous seasons of Love Island are available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial.

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