New Love Island contestants have recorded self-descriptions and the outcome is so cursed

I cba with Ella describing herself as having ‘really long legs and arms’

12 months ago

Love Island 2023
UK

The new Love Island contestants will record self-descriptions to offer blind and partially sighted audiences the opportunity to get to know them. ITVX’s latest series of the dating show starts next week and it will also be audio describing a tour of its villa to give visually impaired people an understanding of the visual geography.

ITV’s director of accessibility David Padmore said: “We’re always looking for ways to make our shows more accessible to our audiences. We hope that having these Islander self-descriptions and villa tours available alongside the show will really help bring this summer’s Love Island to life for our audience.”

Obviously this is a great decision from ITV but the Islanders being put in charge of their own audio description is evil. It’s created the most cursed result ever and we’re being met with the guys telling us how ripped they are and the girls talking about their nails. I can’t be arsed. Anyway, here are a few examples from the self audio-description provided by the Islanders.

Meet George, ‘I’m 6’1, white and go to the gym very often’

“My name is George. I’m 6’1 and I’m, white. I’m very tanned and I go to the gym very often. I haven’t got any tattoos, I haven’t got any piercings. I’m quite a clean cut lad. I’ve got short hair, sort of dark brown and I’ve got a nice beard to go with it – sort of like a medium small to medium length. But it all connects. Eye colour, some people say green, some people say blue – you can call it what you want. I don’t really wear any flashy brands, I like all my high quality basic stuff. I wear things that suit my body type as well because I go to the gym.

“I like things sort of very neutral that sort of suit my build and my skin tone.”

Ella admits she’s got ‘long legs and long arms’

“I’m Ella. I’m 5’7, I’ve got long black hair – it’s really curly but I wear it straight as well. I’ve got my ears pierced and my belly button pierced and I’ve got long legs and long arms. I am of mixed heritage. So I am half Scottish and half Nigerian so I’ve got nice tanned skin.

“I love fashion, so I do switch it up a lot. For nights out I go out wearing really glam looks and for day to day I like wearing casual streetwear. I quite like wearing neutral colours but I’m not afraid to come out in a bright colour too. I’ve got a really big smile and I can’t help but smile all the time. My favourite feature would probably be my lips, they’re big but they’re natural.”

‘I am athletic looking’

“My name is Mehdi, I am 6’2, I am athletic looking and I am mixed race. My dad is Moroccan and my dad is French. I have short hair, dark with a nice trimmed beard on my face. I don’t have any tattoos nor any piercings. When it comes to dressing, I like to look smart most of the time and go with colours and neutrals. When I enter a room people usually notice me because I look confident. I talk with my hands and I’d say that my best feature is my smile because it gives who I am as a person.”

‘I have size three feet’

“I am Rushee. I’m 5’1 or 5′, I’m not too sure but I am quite short. I have olive skin because I am from Nepal. I like to walk with confidence and I have red hair down to my waist. My feet are quite small. I have size three feet, a lot of people think I’ve got kid sized feet. As I am a nail tech, I always make sure my nails are always on point. It either has to be white nail polish, French manicure or a baby pink. I’m not a girly girl so I do like comfortable clothes and baggy clothes. But when I do need to go out then I will wear heels, mini dresses and body con dresses. So yeah, I like to switch it up. I love gold jewellery, especially gold hoops. Those are definitely my signature look. It just adds a little bit of va-va-voom.”

‘I’ve got ‘The time is now’ tattooed on my shoulder because the time is always now’

“I’m Tyrique. I’m 24 and I’m a semi-pro footballer from Essex. I’m black and I am six foot. I’ve got quite an athletic build, I’ve got wavy hair and a clean shaven face other than a goatee. I’ve got both my ears pierced but I don’t really like to wear extravagant earrings – just studs. I’d say my fashion sense is smart casual, nothing too loud, just simple and effective.

The tattoo behind my left ear is a lightning bolt, it symbolises strength and power because it’s my good ear and I can’t hear in my other one. I’ve got a sleeve tattoo. I’ve got my mum, dad, brother and sister’s birthdays just so I never forget them and I’ve got ‘The time is now’ tattooed on my shoulder because the time is always now.”

‘A palm tree tattoo on the back of my ankle’

“I’m Molly Marsh. I am white, blonde with brown eyes and long eyelashes. I am a petite build, 5’2 and I have a few tattoos. I have a little starfish on my ankle, a palm tree on the back of my ankle, some flowers on the side of my ribs and a lightning bolt behind my ear. I have my bellybutton pierced and I have three on my ears. I think my best feature is my eyes.

“I love the beachy look when it comes to hair and makeup because they’re definitely quite natural and I have bright coloured nails. My fashion sense is definitely something that is really out there in pops of colour. I am very animated, I love to use my hands and I’m very characterful – I think that comes from my theatrical background.

You can find the rest of the descriptions on the official Love Island YouTube channel.

This move has been welcomed by the blind community, with Sonali Rai, the Royal National Institute of Blind People’s broadcast and audio description manager, saying: “By embracing self-descriptions on the next series of ‘Love Island’, ITV is demonstrating a great understanding of the importance of providing equal access to content. RNIB research shows that a significant portion of TV programmes lack traditional audio description (AD), often due to challenges such as limited pauses in which to add AD, so we welcome this creative exploration in enhancing accessibility for blind and partially sighted viewers. This proactive initiative sets a remarkable example for the industry, highlighting the power of alternative solutions in creating an inclusive viewing experience for all.