Jess Harding Love Island

Meet Jess: The 22-year-old Love Island 2023 star who already has famous guys in her DMs

She has a LONG list of icks


Yup, it’s happening already— Love Island is back for its tenth season. And with it, there comes a whole new cohort of Islanders. Undoubtedly one of the cast’s most fame-ready Love Island 2023 contestants is Jess Harding, a 22-year-old aesthetics practitioner.

So, in case you’re curious about who’s going to be on your TV screens for the next two months, here’s absolutely everything you need to know about Jess, who describes herself as “a drama queen, unique, loud, crazy and bright”:

Before heading into the Love Island 2023 villa, Jess was working as an aesthetics practitioner in London

Jess lived in Spain until she was 10 but before becoming an Islander for the summer, she was working as an  aesthetics practitioner at her beauty clinic Candy Aesthetics in West London, which she described as her “passion” on Instagram. Jess (like most Love Island contestants) has had some aesthetic work done herself and revealed she started getting procedures done when she was 18 and has had treatments on her chin, lips, forehead and cheeks.

“It started off getting a little bit in my cheeks just because it gives off that nice contour. It just gives a structure to the face,” she told the Daily Star. “I don’t think it looks fake. With Botox, they say you should start getting it in your early 20s… to prevent you from getting wrinkles by the time you’re older. So, it’s a positive. It makes me feel better.”

Her Instagram is very glam and she’s had famous guys in her DMs before even entering the show

Jess (@jesshardingox) already has 38.7k followers on Instagram and posts pics from Dubai beach clubs, high end London restaurants and poolside in Thailand. Not all of the attention she receives is nice, as she’s previously admitted to being trolled by men about her biggest insecurities.

However, Jess also admitted she’s had attention from a former Islander who slid in her DMs in the past: Jon Clark. “He’s a bit too old for me,” she told the Mirror. “I proper entertained it – if you’ve got a blue tick, why wouldn’t I? We never went on a date or anything. I remember I saw him at Winter Wonderland and he put me in the VIP section but nothing happened.”

Jess also revealed she’d previously applied to Love Island and told Jon of her efforts to see if he could get her on the show. “I always said to him, I remember I applied for it a couple of years ago when I split with my ex-boyfriend,” she said. “I was like yeah I’m gonna do it. I spoke to him and was like can you try and get me onto the show just for a laugh. It’ll be funny his reaction. He’d be like oh she’s actually done it.”

Quite literally everything gives Jess the ick

Jess has her fair share of things she doesn’t like about guys: showing off their money with designer clothes, running for the train, and lunch boxes – to name a few. But her worst ever date involved a Lamborghini.

“I went out with a guy and he picked me up in his black Lamborghini and at every traffic light there were people jumping out to take a picture with the car and it was just such an ick,” she said. “I usually would love the attention but he was stunting for it. It was a bit cringey, especially when I’d only just met him.” Fingers crossed all the villa boys drive Corsas.

She’s ready to stand up for herself if she has to

Jess describes herself as having a “heart of gold” but that doesn’t mean she’s a pushover. “I’m quite a funny person. I do love a bit of a gossip as well,” she says, adding “I can stand up for myself if I need to.”

Apparently, despite being single for two years, Jess absolutely “loves love”, falls in love fast, and is a “really good girlfriend”. The problem is, unsurprisingly, all the men she dates are giving her the ick. “I feel like it’s fate because I’m saving myself for Mr Right in the Villa,” she says, revealing she’s after someone who “can drive” and has a nice personality. The bar is truly in hell.

Love Island 2023 kicks off on Monday 5th June at 9pm. For all the latest Love Island news and gossip and for the best memes and quizzes, like The Holy Church of Love Island on Facebook. 

Featured image via Instagram @jesshardingox

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