Love Island is back on our screens this June, with a new group of islanders getting ready to head into the villa for the first time.
This year’s initial cast was announced on Monday (21 June) ahead of the series beginning next week (Monday 28 June). You can find the full list of islanders here.
Among them is Love Island’s first ever contestant with a disability, Hugo Hammond.
The 24-year-old lives in Hampshire, where he works as a secondary school PE teacher.
Hammond says he “absolutely loves” his job and is a fan of all sports, explaining: “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.”
Recommended
As well as teaching, Hammond has played sport for his country, having travelled to places such as Bangladesh and Dubai as a member of the England PD (Physical Disability) cricket team.
He was born with clubfoot, a condition in which the foot faces inwards, having many operations as a child.
Now, Hammond says it’s barely noticeable unless he’s barefoot, when he walks slightly on his tiptoes.
When it comes to love, Hammond has been single for some time and like many people, has struggled to date during the pandemic.
“I saw [Love Island] as an opportunity to have an amazing, fun summer and put myself back out there,” he explained.
Love Island begins Monday 28 June at 9pm on ITV2.
