As the weather heats up, so does the excitement for new seasons of Love Island, and with the cast announcement for Love Island UK season 12 having just dropped, it’s time to meet the Brits who will be looking for love. Love Island is a smash hit around the world. Various spin-offs keep fans fed, including Love Island Australia and Love Island USA, proving that the quest for love knows no geographical limits.
The British iteration of the show was the original back in 2015, so Love Island UK is highly-anticipated, since they’re celebrating 10 years of Love Island.
Love Island USA recently began airing its seventh season, and in true Love Island form, it’s barely a week in and there’s already been scandal among the cast, including one Islander, Yulissa Escobar, who was already asked to leave. Will Love Island UK season 12 be able to match the drama of its American cousin? We’ll have to wait until its June 23 premiere to find out, but let’s meet the cast so far.
Alima Gagigo
Alima Is A Personal Banker
Alima is a 23-year-old wealth management client services executive who lives in Glasgow, Scotland. Her Instagram handle is @alimsssx and on her profile, she shares photos of her jet-setting lifestyle. She’s visited Mykonos, Marbella, Lisbon, and more, and in 2023, she received her BA in international business from Glasgow Caledonian University.
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The Independent reported that Alima is looking for her “Disney Prince” on Love Island, and that in her real life, she uses a trick to weed out men when giving out her number, saying, “I always ask guys on a night out to guess which country I’m originally from. If they get it right, they can get my number. But they never guess correctly so it works really well if you don’t want to give a guy your number. I’m originally from Guinea Bissau. If they’re close and I really fancy them, I’ll give them my number anyway.”
Ben Holbrough
Ben Is A Private Hire Taxi Driver
Ben is a private hire taxi driver living in Gloucester. He’s 23 years old, and according to his Instagram, Ben loves to work out, travel, and ski with his large circle of friends. Ben’s Instagram handle is @ben.holbrough and as of now, he has 14K followers on the social networking app. According to The Independent, Ben has had a tough time finding love, so he’s heading to the island to find his person. Ben described his ideal mate as someone who is “sexy, good looking, good chat, good vibes, nice teeth and good eye contact.”
Blu Chegini
Blu Is A Construction Project Manager
Blu comes to Love Island from London, where he works as a construction project manager. The 26-year-old’s Instagram shows a glimpse of his glamorous life, including traveling to exotic locales and partying with friends. Blu appears to be an amateur boxer as well. According to The Independent‘s report, Blu is looking for a life partner, and he’s not worried when it comes to attracting women. “I’ve got the charm to smooth things over with a girl,” he said.
Conor Phillips
Conor Is A Professional Rugby Player
Conor is an Irish professional rugby player who lives in Limerick, and when it comes to finding love, he’s hoping for someone who is independent and isn’t too clingy. The Independent reported that Conor said, “being too needy, or needing to do everything together” is one of his icks. The 25-year-old made his point even more clear when he said, “I don’t like to answer to anyone else.” Sounds like Conor might not be ready for a girlfriend at all, but still, he’s signed up for the show, so he might be a little more sensitive than he comes across.
Dejon Noel-Williams
Dejon Is A Personal Trainer
Dejon has already amassed a large following on social media as a personal trainer and online coach living in London. It probably doesn’t hurt that his dad is a famous footballer, Gifton Noel-Williams. He has 15.3K followers on Instagram under his handle, @dejonnoelwilliams, where he posts photos of his hardcore workouts and modeling gigs.
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He’s grown up privileged, as he shared with The Independent that he’s met “all kinds of famous people,” including David Beckham. But Dejon, 26, isn’t looking for fame on the island (well, technically he’s not). He’s looking for “someone who is beautiful on the inside and out, looks after themselves and is healthy.”
Harry Cooksley
Harry Is A Gold Trader, Athlete And Model
At 30 years old, Harry is the oldest of the bunch. He lives in Guildford and works as a gold trader, semi-professional footballer and model, naturally. Harry has 12.2K followers on Instagram under his handle, @harrycooksley8. Another fun gig Harry has? He’s the body double for Declan Rice, a British footballer.
The Independent reported that Harry said he’s looking for “the girl next door” who is also funny and can look him in the eye. He said his type might surprise Love Island fans, as he doesn’t tend to go for the most “obvious” girl. He said he likes “a real sweet girl,” so hopefully the other Islanders fit the bill.
Helena Ford
Helena Is A Flight Attendant
Helena clearly has a love for travel, as evidenced by her job as a flight attendant. The Londoner, 29, has 10K followers on Instagram under her handle, @helenafordd. She loves sharing pics of her travels to places like Dubai and Italy. The Sun reported that Helena has a connection to another Love Island participant, as she’s friendly with Zara McDermott, who appeared on the show back in 2018.
The Independent reported that Helena has a preference for Northerners, as she said, “I feel like Northern people have much more banter than Southerners.” She also revealed that laughter and personality are keys to her heart. “If you look through my previous dating history, you’ll see I clearly go for personality. You can pretty much laugh me into bed.”
Megan Moore
Megan Is A Payroll Specialist
As a payroll specialist, Megan has always known how to go for the gold at work, but it hasn’t always worked out in her personal life. The 25-year-old, who has 13K Instagram followers under her handle @megann.mooree and lives in Southampton, said that the current status of her love life is “bankrupt,” according to The Independent. Still, she has high hopes for her time on Love Island, joking that, “We’re going to make sales and get on that corporate ladder and be booming. Profits, profits, profits!”
Megan Forte Clarke
Megan Is An Actress
Megan, 24, might struggle to find someone who fits her type on Love Island, as The Independent reported that her celebrity crush is Timothée Chalamet. She said she prefers “a boy that’s a bit pasty,” adding that she doesn’t mind “scrawny or a bit of a ‘dad bod.'” Based on the beefcakes who were cast for the season, Megan might need to adjust her expectations.
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The musical theatre actress, who lives in Brighton, has 12.2K followers on Instagram under @meganforteclarke, and she’s already had a taste of the spotlight due to her viral TikToks. Megan boasts 22.3K followers on TikTok, and she’s looking for a partner who “doesn’t take themselves too seriously.” A funny, pasty guy who looks like Timothée Chalamet? Here’s hoping Megan finds her match.
Shakira Khan
Shakira Is A Marketing Pro
At just 22 years old, Shakira is looking for her husband on Love Island UK. The Independent reported that Shakira has an active dating life, except that she described the men she’s dated as “all frogs.” She said, “It’s a busy love life but I’ve not found ‘the husband.’ I’m looking for ‘the one.’ I’m looking for the ring.” Shakira, from Burnley, described her type as “tall, charming, witty, with big arms, a good smile, and just really funny.”
Sophie Lee
Sophie Is A Motivational Speaker And Author
Sophie has overcome true adversity in her life, as she was horribly disfigured in a freak accident in 2018. The Sun originally reported on her story, which occurred when she was working as a fire dancer at a club in Chicago and an air conditioning unit blew up in her face. Sophie spent months recovering from her horrific injuries, but she used her experience as a way to help others now as a motivational speaker.
Sophie, 29, who refers to herself as the “CEO of empowerment,” wrote a book about her experiences in 2024 called In My Skin. Her story has inspired many, and she has around 100K followers on Instagram under the handle @sophirelee. The Independent reported that Sophie, who is from Manchester, said, “I want women to feel beautiful and validated in themselves and feel their best self.”
Tommy Bradley
Tommy Is A Landscape Gardener
Tommy, 22, works as a landscape gardener, which seems like the perfect job for this perfectionist who said he takes “hours” to do his hair, according to The Independent. Tommy, who lives in Hertfordshire, is meticulous about his looks and about what he’s looking for in a partner, saying he wants someone who is “very ambitious, with a big personality, caring, but also someone that doesn’t take themselves too seriously.” Here’s hoping Tommy finds someone who doesn’t take themselves as seriously as Tommy takes his hair
Love Island UK seasons 1-11 are available to stream in the U.S. on Hulu. Season 12 premieres on June 23 and can be streamed on Hayu in Canada, ITV in the U.K., and eventually on Hulu in the U.S.
Sources: Alima Gagigo/Instagram, The Independent, Ben Holbrough/Instagram, Blu Chegini/Instagram, Conor Phillips/Instagram, Dejon Noel-Williams/Instagram, Harry Cooksley/Instagram, Helena Ford/Instagram, The Sun, Megan Moore/Instagram, Megan Forte Clarke/Instagram, Shakira Khan/Instagram, Sophie Lee/Instagram, The Sun, Tommy Bradley/Instagram
- First Episode Air Date
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June 7, 2017
- TV Show(s)
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Love Island