'Love Island' star shares disappointment at new series cast saying ‘it feels like show is going backwards’

A former ‘Love Island’ star who made history with her appearance on the popular ITV 2 dating show has slammed cast for the upcoming 11th season, claiming that the show is "going backwards".

Tasha Ghouri, aged 25, was a contestant on the 2022 summer series and quickly found her way in to the hearts of fans - as well as now long-term boyfriend Andrew Le Page, age 28, who had also headed to the Majorcan villa in search of love that year.

Ghouri made ‘Love Island’ history as the first-ever deaf contestant, and it’s clear from the reaction of fans over the weekend after the official cast for the 2024 summer series was announced that their hopes that Ghouri’s appearance would see the start of a more inclusive line-up for future seasons had been dashed - and Ghouri agrees.

Ghouri took to her Snapchat earlier today (Tuesday May 28) to make her views crystal clear. She shared an an unimpressed-looking selfie and captioned the image: "Love seeing the inclusivity in the Love Island cast . . feels like we're going backwards."

The TV personality, who wears a cochlear implant, has previously spoken out about the importance of representation on the show. She said: "Me going on the show was a groundbreaking moment for the TV industry, especially for a show like ‘Love Island’. It was like a moment that shook the whole earth, that's what it felt like."

Many fans of the show also been sharing their disappointment in the 2024 line up in the hours since the official cast announcement from ITV on Monday (May 27), and have taken to social media to slam the lack of diversity so far.

One person said: “Diversity doesn’t mean brunette hair instead of blonde.” One more said: “’Tall, dark, handsome’, ‘prefer blonde but don’t mind brunette’, honestly I’m so sick of hearing this like damn it’s 2024 let’s switch it up a little bit?” Another fan said: “Well this line up is embarrassing. Two black people of course.” A fourth said: “You would have thought the producers would have learned after last season and love island games that a diverse cast is their best chance of success and a more entertaining season overall . . . sigh.”

Despite the fan backlash it must, however, be noted that more contestants will be revealed as bombshells at a later date and enter the villa after the official launch next week. Also, among this year’s confirmed cast is Patsy Field, a 29-year-old model who has a hidden disability called has Erb's Palsy. The condition results in one arm being shorter than the other and also having less function and sensation. Field is said to want to go in the villa to raise awareness of her condition.

An source told the ’The Mail Online’: "Patsy is a brilliant signing for the show, she's hilarious so will definitely bring good vibes and positive energy. She has never let her disability define her but she's also excited for the opportunity to educate audiences who might not know about Erb's palsy because awareness is key." ‘Love Island’ returns to our screens on Monday June 3, and will be broadcast on ITV 1, ITV 2 and ITV X at 9pm. Be sure to keep an eye on our dedicated ‘Love Island’ page for all the latest news.