Love Island is back for 2021 – with 11 brand new contestants hoping to find romance as the Spanish villa opens up for business once again.
The dating show, hosted by Laura Whitmore, will see contestants hoping to couple up and win the £50,000 prize money – and among them is Hugo Hammond, a PE teacher and cricketer looking to find love after lockdown.
He’s the show’s first ever disabled contestant, having been born with clubfoot.
Here’s all you need to know about clubfoot, a condition which affects around one to four of every 1,000 babies.
What is clubfoot?
Clubfoot is is where a baby is born with a foot or feet that turn in and under.
Early treatment and physiotherapy can correct it, and it usually isn’t painful.
It occurs in around 1 in 1,000 children, and is more common in boys.
It’s usually diagnosed in the womb, and is thought by doctors to be genetic as it runs in families.
The 24-year-old sports fanatic spoke about the condition, saying he ‘had lots of operations’ when he was a kid.
He said: ‘You can only really tell when I walk barefoot. I’ve got a really short achilles heel. I walk slightly on my tip toes.’
‘I’ve actually played cricket for England PD (Physical Disability). I’ve been to Bangladesh, Dubai, I’ve been everywhere to play cricket,’ he added.
The show has been criticised for its lack of diversity in the past, and has already courted controversy this year when producers spoke about the ‘logistical difficulty’ of LGBTQ+ contestants.
MORE : Love Island 2021 cast live: Meet this year’s line-up including first disabled contestant
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from Entertainment – Metro
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