Kai Fagan and Sanam Harriananan were officially crowned the winners of Love Island 2023 in South Africa last night.
Nearly two months after the smash-hit ITV reality competition show returned to our screens for its ninth series and it’s second Winter edition, and a whole new lineup of hopeful singletons made the trip to South Africa in the look for love, viewers tuned into ITV2 in their millions last night to see who would take home the title of Love Island 2023 winners.
And after a suspenseful wait, new host Maya Jama announced that fan-favourite couple Kai and Sanam had clinched the coveted win.
The 24-year-old PE and Science teacher from Manchester, and the 24-year-old Social Worker from Bedford beat runners-up Ron Hall and Lana Jenkins to take home the £50,000 prize money.
Tom Clare and Samie Elishi came in third, while Tanya Manhenga and Shaq Muhammad took fourth.
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With a romance that blossomed in Casa Amor after Sanam entered as a ‘bombshell’, and relationship that survived all other challenges thrown at it throughout the series, Kai and Sanam went on to capture the hearts of Love Island fans.
Kai – who fans found out before he entered the villa claims to have three different degrees from three different universities, and also played semi-professional rugby for Burnage RFC alongside his teaching career – told presenter Maya Jama that Sanam had “blown me away straight away” after her introduction on the show.
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“I think it was the eyes,” he said, adding: “Now she doesn’t leave my side. I don’t leave her side and I absolutely love it.”
Sanam admitted to Jama that “it was always Kai”.
“I always said he was my number one and that, of course he is a very attractive guy, but apart from the looks, like I was just like… he’s an amazing guy, everything about him.”
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In what is a typical Love Island final tradition, the couple also shared their declarations of love with each other during last night’s episode – where Sanam told Kai: “You charmed me with your smile and melted me with your warm brown eyes.
“I was hooked by your intelligence, values, kindness and you always manage to make me laugh. You’ve made me realise my worth and I can’t wait for us to one day be official.”
Kai replied: “My time here has been a dream since I met you.
“Sanam, you’re one of a kind and I’m so happy to have you in my life because I adore you and can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us.”
Kai and Sanam are the first winners in the show’s history to have coupled-up in Casa Amor.
Featured Image – ITV
TV & Showbiz
Mancs can apply to be paired up with two potential partners for a ‘unique’ Channel 4 dating show
Emily Sergeant
Those who consider themselves to be pretty unlucky-in-love can now apply to take part in one of the most “unique” dating shows on TV.
Following the undoubted success of the first series – which has been airing on E4 for the past couple of weeks now, before concluding last Thursday (9 May) – Channel 4 has now put out a nationwide casting call for people to take part in the next series of its newest dating game show, Love Triangle.
And the show’s producers are calling on singletons from Greater Manchester to stick an application in.
Unfamiliar with Love Triangle?
Based off the US and Australian programmes of the same name, the UK version is a so-called “supersized” take on the show, and it seeks to “turn everything you know about dating on its head”.
In what is a first of its kind for UK television, the brand-new relationship format asks six courageous singles to reject all the conventions and pitfalls of modern app-based dating in favour of a “radical” new approach.
Channel 4 is currently casting across the UK for the next series of Love Triangle / Credit: Channel 4
The six contestants will first choose a love match from two potential suitors.
One match embodies each single’s usual wants, type, and desires, while the other reflects their deeper and more “fulfilling” romantic needs.
After choosing one of the suitors to date, the other will then make a “shocking surprise return” to form a love triangle, and then, after dating and living with both suitors, each single faces a choice – they must pick one of their matches to “pursue lasting love”.
The casting call for contestants on the Channel 4 website reads: “In this unique relationship series reflecting dating in the real world, unlucky-in-love singles are matched with two potential partners, who each tick different boxes of their wants and needs, in the hopes of finding long-lasting love.”
To apply for the show, you just need to be 18 years of age or older, a resident of the UK, and crucially, single and “looking for love”.
Do you fancy yourself a bit of a brainbox? Reckon you’re ready to put your general knowledge to the test in the hopes of winning some money? And by ‘some money’, we just mean the small matter of £1 million?
If you answered yes to those questions, then you’ll probably keen to know that ITV has put out a casting call for people to take part in the next series of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?.
That’s right… it’s been confirmed that Jeremy Clarkson is back hosting another series of the world-famous reality game show – which was revived to great success by ITV back for the first time back in 2018 – later this year, and that means the show’s producers are, of course, looking for contestants who believe they’ve got what it takes to make it to the million.
Brainy Mancs are wanted by ITV producers for a new series of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? / Credit: ITV
A casting call on the ITV website reads: “If you would like the chance to sit opposite Jeremy in the world-famous hotseat, then apply now, as could be just 15 questions away from becoming a millionaire.”
Applications for the new series of the show are now live and currently being accepted up until the cut-off date of 15 November 2024, but the earlier you apply the better, as the audition and casting process is set to take place between 22 July and 11 October 2024.
To apply, you must be aged 18 or over on the date of submitting the form, and you must be a British citizen or have the right to reside in the UK, as well as ensuring you meet the eligibility requirements listed on the ITV website before you start completing this application form.