We’re halfway through Black History Month, which has been a time of celebration, learning and growth. I’m happy that progress is being made, because any progress is a step in the right direction.
The foundations are being built and created – we’re seeing more people of colour in boardrooms and in higher-level roles, which we need because then it will filter down. There’s still a long way to go, but it’s nice that our voices are being heard.
The conversation in the background needs to continue. Just because we’re not protesting, it shouldn’t stop progression. The biggest thing we need is reflection. We need to be able to see people in those positions on an everyday basis, to show us that it can be done.
People need to listen and take action. You can only make change when people are actually put in those positions of influence.
Check out: Love Island contestants reveal how they were approached for the show
How the Love Island contestants were approached slider
1 of 17Connor Durman
Connor is one of the rare Love Island stars that actually applied for the show. The reality star revealed to Closer Online the unique way he won the producers over.
2 of 17Lucie Donlan
Lucie was one of those contestant who producers were eager to sign because she had been speaking to them for a few years.She told Closer Online, "They spoke to me for the past three years. I think this year I was definitely more ready for it. "I was a bit too young the other years."
3 of 17Ovie Soko
Surprisingly our favourite ever Love Island contestant Ovie wasn't scouted or approached - he applied himself.He said on This Morning: "I went in because of my big brother, funnily enough. "Because I'm always sort of travelling and stuff because of basketball, I'm only ever really around in the summer times. I came back and Love Island always seems to be the big deal and he was like, 'Man, you'd be great on that show if you went on there' and I didn't think anything of it. "I ended up applying when I had some downtime and yeah, now I'm sort of here."
4 of 17Anton Danyluk
Anton was one of the six 2019 contestants who actually applied for the show.He told us: "I went through the whole application process. I did the first one-minute video and from there I met producers, then I had a medical and then I met the executive producers and then I was ready to go."
5 of 17Belle Hassan
Casa Amor bombshell Belle revealed it was her famous dad Tamer Hassan who helped get her on the show."I had a conversation with my dad and he asked me if I wanted to do the show."I didn't really think much of it and before I knew it one of his friends [got me in contact] with someone at ITV and then I did the audition and started the application process," she told us.
6 of 17Amy Hart
Amy was another star who actually applied for the show but she confessed her little brother was reluctant for her to go on the reality show."We're quite a close family and my little brother wasn't happy with me to start with because of all the trolling and his friends having to watch me on TV."But by the time I went on there everyone was really supportive. I was actually really lucky - I found out six weeks before I went [in the villa]."
7 of 17Joe Garrett
Despite only 6 of the 36 Love Island 2019 stars actually applying for the show, sandwich maker Joe Garrett has confessed he was one of them.Speaking to Closer Online, he recalled: "I sent a video in and had like 3/4 interviews. I had medicals and stuff like that. It's a proper rigorous process."
8 of 17Sherif Lanre
Despite being booted out the villa it seems Love Island bosses were keen to get Sherif on the show because they actually approached him.He revealed to Closer magazine: "I was scouted no more than three weeks ago, I literally [had] no time to think about it. I went straight into the shoots, straight into filming."I was working close to the ITV studio, I was going to get lunch and I just turned round and one of the execs was like, 'Hi, have you heard of Love Island?'"There was so much racing through my head. He asked for my details. I walked back to eat my food and had someone texting me, asking, 'Can you come in to do some initial filming?'"Fast forward three weeks, and here I am."Interesting.
9 of 17Paul Knops
Love Island 2018 star Paul Knops has confessed that it was one of his friends who got him on the show."Initially I was approached by a friends who was going on another show and they put me forward to go on that show. So I went in and spoke to the producers for that and then they said they will keep me in mind for Love Island."I was away on holiday and they gave me a call and they said 'Can you come on the show, we need you to leave tomorrow' and it was for Casa Amor," he told Closer Online.He went on to say: "I said 'no it wasn't the right time for me' and then over the course of the next two weeks I had a few messages for them and I just decided I'd give it a go."
10 of 17Kem Cetinay
Love Island 2017 winner Kem Cetinay actually got scouted on Instagram. He explained: "I had a barber Instagram where I did my tutorials and it was quite big, it was doing really well. Then they messaged me off that randomly and was like do you want to come in. "I still went through the whole process; I did the audition, questionnaires and some of the video camera shots."
11 of 17Chris Hughes
Chris Hughes got on the show by simply applying on the ITV website: "I was one of the very few – I remember talking to some of the producers and executives after the show – who did the whole thing. "I signed up online, went through all the stages, did the questionnaires. I did the standard protocol, I was never approached."
12 of 17Kendall Rae Knight
Kendall Rae Knight followed in the footsteps as Chris and went online to get on the show."I applied just through the ITV website. I was just normal; I worked at a shoe shop no one approached me and I didn't have an agent. I went through all the stages," she told us at the NTAs.
13 of 17Sam Bird
Sam Bird was actually set to go on another show, luckily things didn't work out and he went on Love Island instead. He revealed at the NTAs: "I got approached for a different show - Survival of the Fittest - and I was meant to go on that but it didn't happen."The producers [who work on both the shows] said try Love Island instead. I said 'alright' and then I auditioned, so I kind of got approached."
14 of 17Megan Barton Hanson
Megan Barton Hanson was already popular on Instagram and that grabbed the producers attention. She admitted: "I never had an agent but I had an Instagram and I had quite a few followers on it so I just got picked up that way. "I was really hesitant at first because obviously Instagram is your filtered, photoshopped best version of yourself and I was like 'I'm happy to share that but do I actually want to go on national TV with everyone seeing me with no makeup on?' but I'm glad I did it."
15 of 17Samira Mighty
Samira's admitted that she was actually meant to go on Love Island back in 2017."I was meant to go on last year as a bombshell and it just didn't work out."Then I got Dreamgirls and one of the producers watched it and I was just chatting to him and then I went in [to audition] a couple of times and then got on Love Island."
16 of 17Alexandra Cane
Alexandra was kind of a someone - she's appeared in Giggs' music video and was a makeup artist - before her Love Island stint and that helped her get on the show."I got an interview through my current agent but I knew him prior to going on the show - from being a makeup artist. So he put me forward for the show."
17 of 17Eyal Booker
We're sensing a theme here because Eyal Booker is another star who got on the show through Instagram."I got approached through Instagram but then I had to audition for it. It kind of happened a few years in a row but I just kept umming and ahhing and then [2018] just felt like the right time."
Representation is so important. We sometimes don’t realise how important it is because it feeds into your self-conscious. Not seeing that representation sometimes makes you doubt yourself and can knock you back, and there may be certain opportunities that you don’t strive for.
Having those people in public positions helps your mental health and to get by day-to-day, because you feel “if someone else has done it, then so can I. One day, that’s going to be me!”
‘Spending time with my partner in lockdown made us stronger’
A recent survey showed that the coronavirus pandemic has made people reassess their attitude towards their love lives. Fifty-nine per cent said they were re-evaluating their “ideal partner” checklist, while 58 per cent revealed they were going to be more open to a range of partners.
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There’s no such thing as the perfect person, but I do believe there’s the perfect person for you. There will always be little things that will get on your nerves about your partner, and being with them 24/7 will definitely exacerbate any issues.
But while there’s so much uncertainty with the pandemic, we have to remind ourselves we’ll never get quality time with our partner like this again, so treasure it. Lockdown has given me the opportunity to get to know Mike [Boateng, her Love Island co-star] on a deeper level.
We’ve had some small rows, but spending so much time together has allowed us to gauge when we need to leave the other alone and when to address the situation, and we’re stronger as a result.
Follow Priscilla on Instagram at @priscillaanyabu_
Get the best celeb interviews in Closer magazine each week.