Fetch the popcorn – Love Island is back on our screens again and that can only mean one thing: a summer of fake tans, “Turkey teeth” and underboob-baring bikinis. Love Island may be one of the most popular reality series on TV but it doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to representating disabilities.
In previous seasons, the show has faced criticism for a lack of diversity in the cast and the promotion of an unrealistic body image. In 2021, Hugo Hammond became Love Island’s first physically disabled contestant. Hammond was born with clubfoot but, after several childhood operations, his disability is barely visible, which led to further criticism.