Love Island: how are producers catering to the Islanders with different hair types?

A question we've always wanted answered...

love island girls 2021

by Eden-Olivia Lord |
Updated on

Love Island and its diversity (or lack of) is always topical when the series begins so we've done some digging to find out how producers are catering for their cast members.

Now it's well known that the Islanders get a break from filming so they can get their hair and nails done by professional but we've always wondered if the hairdressers have experience working on different hair types.

love island yewande smiling
yewande's wig changed during her time in the villa ©ITV

When Love Island 2019 aired on TV and Yewande Biala's wig changed it came to light that producers contacted her hair stylist outside the villa.

"We had to deliver when @loveisland contacted us. We are 100 per cent behind our #NOBLEBABY so it was important we delivered in less than 3 days," her hair stylist wrote on social media.

Yewande's ex Danny Williams also opened up about his time in the show and admitted that one of the hairdressers didn't do a good job when they cut Michael Griffiths' hair - who is mixed race.

"Whilst I was there we had two [hairdressers] and the first guy was absolutely terrible. I watched him absolutely shank Michael's haircut and I was like 'nah, you're alright' and I didn't get a trim that time.

"And then the second time I got a trim was the day before I got dumped," he told Closer.

love island michael and danny
danny (right) claims the hairdresser ruined michael's (left) hair ©ITV

But it appears that things have certainly changed because during Love Island 2020, Priscilla Anyabu managed to switch her hairstyle up in the villa.

"I think my hair made me stand out [during the audition process] because at the time I had dreadlocks down to my bum. It was blonde and black.

"I kept on changing my hair [during the audition process] one day I had dreadlocks, the next time they saw me I had a middle parting and then when I flew out [to South Africa] I had a ponytail," she revealed in Closer Online's Love Island Secrets.

love island priscilla
priscilla changed her hair a few times in the villa ©ITV

She added, "I just kept getting away with it and pushing my luck. Every single time I changed it and they loved it so I think they were like 'this girl, she's going to pull out the bag'."

Although not everyone was allowed to change their hair and Luke T admitted he almost cried in the villawhen the producers didn't let him get the haircut he wanted.

Things have definitely changed though, despite Love Island fans worrying about Kaz Kamwi's time on the show.

The hair company that supplied Yewande's wigs are apparently working with the Love Island producers this year too.

"@LoveIsland hired a black owned business @freebornnoblew to be a part of the team providing hair extensions and wigs on love Island season 7!!!

"I can only thank God for this amazing opportunity. Roll on 9PM 🎉," they wrote on social media.

And not only have they supplied Kaz's wigs but you can also buy the exact same wig from their website.

Check out: former Love Island stars reveal how they were approached for the show

Gallery

How the Love Island contestants were approached slider

Connor Durman1 of 17
CREDIT: ITV

Connor 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.

lucie donlan2 of 17
CREDIT: ITV

Lucie 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."

Ovie Soko3 of 17
CREDIT: ITV

Ovie 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."

Anton Danyluk4 of 17
CREDIT: ITV

Anton 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."

Belle Hassan5 of 17
CREDIT: ITV

Belle 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.

Amy Hart6 of 17
CREDIT: ITV

Amy 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]."

Joe Garrett7 of 17
CREDIT: ITV

Joe 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."

Sherif Lanre8 of 17
CREDIT: ITV

Sherif 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.

Paul Knops9 of 17
CREDIT: ITV

Paul 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."

Kem Cetinay10 of 17
CREDIT: ITV

Kem 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."

Chris Hughes11 of 17
CREDIT: ITV

Chris 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."

Kendall Rae Knight12 of 17
CREDIT: ITV

Kendall 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.

Sam Bird13 of 17
CREDIT: ITV

Sam 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."

Megan Barton Hanson14 of 17
CREDIT: ITV

Megan 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."

Samira Mighty15 of 17
CREDIT: ITV

Samira 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."

Alexandra Cane16 of 17
CREDIT: ITV

Alexandra 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."

Eyal Booker17 of 17
CREDIT: ITV

Eyal 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."

WATCH: Brad McClelland and Sharon Gaffka reveal Liam was TOLD OFF by producers | Love Island Secrets

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Bombshell Andrea-Jane: what happened to diversifying the villa?

Love Island's Rachel Finni: ‘I spoke to a therapist every day’

When Closer Online recently caught up with Anna Vakili she spilled the tea on her time in the villa and revealed that none of the clothes inside the villa fit her.

"You're allowed to take two big suitcases so as much as you can fit in there," she began.

But when her co-star and BFF Amber Gill revealed that they also get clothes sent into the villa, Anna explained, "It was a struggle for me because they didn't provide for my size... EVER.

"I'm not size 6-8. They never used to provide my size in there. Remember I was having a meltdown like every time," she admitted.

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