It’s time to dust off the swimwear, because Love Island is back for its second ever winter series.
The dating show returns on Monday night (16 January) with a brand new series filmed in South Africa and hosted by Maya Jama.
The initial line-up has already been announced and includes a contestant with vitiligo, the show’s first partially sighted star, and a girl who once worked as Emma Watson’s body double.
Footballer Tom Clare will be one of the first bombshell contestants to join the villa.
Whether Tom appears in the opening episode or not comes down to the public, who have been voting on whether he or fellow bombshell Ellie Spence will enter the villa first.
Here’s everything you need to know about Tom...
What football team does Tom Clare play for?
Tom is a 23-year-old footballer from Skelmersdale in Lancashire. He plays for non-league Macclesfield FC and was the team’s top scorer from the 2021/2022 season.
He has been granted an “extended period of leave” to appear on the show, with the club saying that Tom had expressed an “unwavering desire” to return after the show.
How tall is Tom?
At six foot five, Tom is sure to tower over his fellow contestants.
What will he bring to the villa?
Tom says that he’s a “good laugh” and a “good vibe”, an upfront guy who won’t be “snakey” in the villa.
What is Tom looking for on the show?
Tom’s not interested in girls who are “stuck up”, saying it can put him off even a girl who’s “10 out of 10”.
Another “ick” for him is poor oral hygiene, while he says he’s not into girls who go all out on the “birthday make-up”.
"You know when make-up is done professionally for an event and it’s just too much, like blue eyeshadow and stuff? Girls don’t need that,” he says.
What is Tom’s Instagram?
Tom’s Instagram page is @tomclare__. However, you’ll have to wait until he leaves the villa to see his posts due to a change in this series of Love Island.
Unlike previous years, in which the islanders’ profiles have been run by their friends and family, the winter 2023 contestants have been asked by ITV to make their accounts “dormant” for the duration of their time on the show.
ITV have brought in this measure to help lessen the “adverse effects of social media” on the contestants.
Love Island returns Monday 16 January at 9pm on ITV2.
