A PE teacher from Hampshire has been named ITV2 show Love Island’s first ever disabled contestant.
Hugo Hammond, who is also a former England Physical Disability cricket player, is the fifth star to be announced for the 2021 series.
He currently plays for Hartley Wintney Cricket Club.
Hugo was born with clubfoot, which is when a baby’s feet turn inwards and under.
“I’ve been single for a while now. With the current climate, it’s been really hard to get back into dating. I saw it as an opportunity to have an amazing fun summer and put myself back out there,” Hugo said.
“I’ve actually played cricket for England PD (Physical Disability),’ he explained.
“I’ve been to Bangladesh, Dubai, I’ve been everywhere to play cricket. I was born with clubfoot.
“I had lots of operations when I was a kid. You can only really tell when I walk barefoot. I’ve got a really short achilles heel. I walk slightly on my tip toes.”
A secondary school PE teacher, Hugo added: “Absolutely love my job. I love all my sports.
“It’s great to be able to pass on that enthusiasm to be physically active to the younger generation and hopefully they feel the same about me teaching them.’
The ITV2 dating show returns next Monday (June 28), with a new batch of contestants heading to the Mallorcan villa in hope of coupling up and finding love.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here