Winter series Love Island’s first contestant ‘revealed’: Boohoo model Tanya Manhenga, 22, ‘preparing to move to a South African villa’
The first single person to head to the Love Island villa for the upcoming winter series is reportedly Boohoo model Tanya Manhenga.
According to SunThe 22-year-old biomedical sciences student is among the next crop of hopefuls heading to South Africa in search of love.
In addition to her degree, Tanya has worked with brands such as Ego and Simmi shoes and is already represented by the Muse talent agency.
Hopeful: The first bachelor to head to the Love Island villa for the upcoming winter series has been revealed to be Boohoo model Tanya Manhenga.
Tanya currently has over 11,000 followers on Instagram whom she keeps entertained with various bikini photos.
A source said: “Tanya really is the complete package, she’s as smart as she is stunning and seems to be one of the most popular islanders in this series.”
“She’s an islander in waiting, already moving in the same circles as former cast members and already having brand deals under her belt.
“But his followers already know that he has a personality to match. This year’s cast is a cheeky bunch, full of banter and good talk, and Tanya is ready to lead the pack.’
Stunning: According to The Sun, the 22-year-old biomedical sciences student is among the next crop of hopefuls heading to South Africa to look for love.
Perhaps hinting at her upcoming TV appearance, Tanya captioned her Christmas Eve post with, “The calm before the storm.”
MailOnline has contacted Love Island representatives for comment.
The ninth series will first be hosted by Maya Jama, after Laura Whitmore stepped down from her role following the tragic death of former host Caroline Flack in 2020.
The villa was revealed last month, with sources telling MailOnline that the South African mansion is the “best villa” yet, with stunning mountain views and is located on the country’s “millionaire’s row”.
Wow: Tanya currently has over 11,000 followers on Instagram who she keeps entertained with various bikini photos.
A source said: “Tanya really is the complete package, she’s as smart as she is stunning and looks set to be one of the most popular islanders on this series.”
Love Island bosses have reportedly splashed out on a £1.2m villa in which contestants will compete as gladiators to win the show’s sportiest season yet.
According to The Sun, the luxurious mansion in South Africa has a zip line, a 400-meter running track, and rugby and soccer fields.
The property will be home to a host of British singles when the winter edition of the show returns after three years.
Meanwhile, Love Island announced its new duty of care measures for 2023 on the Friday before the series in South Africa, and there are some big changes in store.
ITV2 will ban the islanders’ social media activity during the show and provide enhanced relationship behavior training after a controversial summer series.
New Face: The ninth season will be hosted for the first time by Maya Jama, after Laura Whitmore resigned from her position.
It comes after Love Island received more than 5,000 complaints from Ofcom last year, with viewers sharing their concerns about “misogynistic behavior and bullying”.
Now ITV has said that a comprehensive package of welfare measures for the show’s contributors remains in place to ensure stars receive full support before, during and after the filming period.
As part of extended measures to protect both islanders and their families from ‘the adverse effects of social media’, participants will be asked to stop their handles and accounts on their social media platforms during their time at the Program.
The Winter Love Island series start date will reportedly be Monday, January 16.