After ten years of Love Island #dramz courtesy of some seriously iconic Islanders, it's safe to say, the latest batch of lovesick recruits – which were announced by ITV earlier this week – have some BIG shoes (well, sliders or clear wedges, really) to fill if they expect to make the ten year anniversary series one for the history books.
Naturally, Love Island producers HAD to get the casting spot on if they expected to deliver the most iconic Love Island series of all time, and although we haven't officially met any of these new Islanders – we have to say, we like what we see so far.
We're especially excited to meet new girl, Ruchee Gurung after she promised to bring Maura Higgins – one of the standout figures from Love Island 2019 – energy to the summer 2023 villa.
In her pre-villa chat with ITV producers, she was asked if she had a favourite moment from any of the previous seasons. Ruchee responded promising to fill those big shoes we talked about earlier with Maura and more, "I loved Maura Higgins. I feel like how she handled situations in the Villa was exactly how I would behave. I’d say any Maura moments were favourites for me, I thought she was hilarious."
Preach.
So we know Ruchee is entering the Majorcan villa with Maura Higgins energy, but what else do we need to know about this new Islander?
Who is Ruchee Gurung?
Ruchee will be one of the first Islanders to enter the Love Island 2023 villa on 5 June 2023.
How old is Ruchee Gurung?
Ruchee is 24 years old.
Where is Ruchee Gurung from?
She is a Sutton girl.
What does Ruchee do for a living?
She is a beautician.
Why is Ruchee going on Love Island?
Ruchee says, "I’m single and looking for love, and it’s the perfect opportunity for me to find someone. I’m a relationship kind of girl, but so far it’s not worked out for me. So I’m looking forward to hopefully finding the right person in the villa."
What will Ruchee Gurung bring to the villa?
In addition to bringing some serious Maura Higgins energy, Ruchee promises to "bring fun", but admits that she's "also quite a direct person". AKA she'll bring the #dramz, too.
Does Ruchee Gurung have any hidden talents?
Apparently, the gorgeous Islander is also a talented singer. She says, "I can sing, I studied music when I was younger but it’s just a hobby now." Maybe she can help us fall back in love with Breaking Free again – thanks for that one, Luca.
Does Ruchee Gurung have Instagram?
She sure does and she already has quite the following, boasting over 15K followers before she's even slow-mo walked into the villa. You can join Ruchee's army at @rucheewawo.
Love Island starts at 9pm Monday 5th June on ITV2 and ITVX.