TV & Showbiz

Love Island winners Kai and Sanam to spend part of £50k prize money on ‘helping kids’

Fans of the ITV reality competition show have praised the "selfless" couple.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 15th March 2023

Love Island fans have been heaping praise on “selfless” winners Kai and Sanam after the couple revealed what they plan to spend part of their £50,000 prize money on.

In case you missed it, 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, the winners of Love Island 2023 were announced live on Monday night.

Host Maya Jama revealed that fan-favourite couple Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan 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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The couple certainly captured the hearts of Love Island fans after their romance first blossomed in Casa Amor when Sanam entered as a ‘bombshell’, and survived all other challenges thrown at it throughout the series.

ITV revealed yesterday that Kai and Sanam walked away with a huge 44% of the public final vote, compared to Lana and Ron’s second place of 30%.

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Kai and Sanam are the first winners in the show’s history to have coupled-up in Casa Amor.

Kai – who 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, while Sanam admitted 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,” she added.

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Love Island winners Kai and Sanam to spend part of £50k prize money on ‘helping kids’ / Credit: ITV

Now, the couple have spoken out for the first time since leaving the villa to dish on how they plan to spend their £50,000 winnings.

While they said that jetting off on a couple’s holiday is definitely on the cards as soon as they get the chance to, they also explained how they plan to stay true to and honour their roots as a teacher and social worker by using part of the prize money to “help kids” – which has seen fans praise them for their “selfless” response.

In their first interview since being crowned Love Island 2023 winners, Kai and Sanam admitted that they know they have to be “sensible” with their prize money.

Kai explained: “Before I came in here, I wanted to start up a business and help kids get into physical activity. I don’t want to turn my back on teaching, working with young kids and think I will use some of that to do that.

“I am not sure yet in what capacity.”

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“That’s similar to me,” Sanam added, “I came from social work – working with children who have been adopted. I know that sometimes in my area there can be limited services, so for me I want to be able to do something to aid and support them, being an advocate for them.”

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Kai added: “Both our careers were pretty similar when we came in here, and the conversations we had and the reasons why we were doing them were very similar.”

Featured Image – ITV

TV & Showbiz

A Salford student has made history as BBC Radio 1’s newest presenter

Danny Jones Danny Jones Young University of Salford student becomes new BBC Radio 1 presenter

A University of Salford student has made history after becoming the latest radio presenter for mainstream national station BBC Radio 1.

And he’s only 20 years old.

Matt Hallsworth from Harleston in Norfolk has become the first ever Salford student to sign a contract with the station whilst still studying, and is now set to join fellow alumni such as Vicky Hawkesworth and Katie Thistleton in working for the BBC’s biggest radio station.

If that isn’t hitting the ground running in your career, then we don’t know what is.

Set to host the spin-off online stream ‘Radio 1 Anthems’ – available via BBC’s digital Sounds platform, which hosts live and pre-recorded broadcasts, podcasts, music playlists and more – Hallsworth will be taking charge of several shows in the coming weeks.

The BA Television and Radio Production student, who is currently Head of Radio at the University’s in-house station Shock Radio, has already won a number of awards in his fledgling broadcast career and is now set to present a total of 16 shows through next month, starting from 8am on Tuesday, 2 April.

Matt has already had a glimpse of life at the BBC, having joined in as one of their Christmas Presenters back in December; he won the coveted slot after being crowned winner of ‘Best Presenter’ at last year’s Student Radio Awards (SRAs) and was the youngest out of a total 27 guest hosts that got the chance.

In addition to that accolade, he also collected the Gold Award for ‘Best Chart Show’ at the 2024 SRAs, with his on-air partner and fellow student Issy Brand also joining him in earning the title of ‘Best On-Air Team’ for the second year in a row in the International Student Broadcasting Championship.

Since then, he’s already enjoyed experience as a freelance presenter for nearby Hits Radio, working and is now the lead host officer for The Student Radio Association’s annual conference over in Salford.

You can listen HERE. (Credit: BBC)

Speaking on the unbelievable opportunity, the rising radio star said: “I am so excited to be joining the BBC Radio 1 Anthems family across April! Since the stream’s launch in October, it’s been evident the BBC is using it as a platform to nurture new presenters, and I feel thrilled to be able to join that.

“I was working on some university assignment work in January when I got the text and call from Aled [Hayden Jones, Head of Station at BBC Radio 1], with feedback from my Christmas show and offering the opportunity.

“The shows have the best playlists, full of songs that I grew up with, forgot about, and play anyway. I can’t wait for people to hear them.”

As for UoS‘s Programme Leader for BA TV and Radio Production, Louise Ready-Syrat, she says: “I’m hugely proud and pleased for Matt, he is such a lovely person and a huge talent that will be amazing in every capacity.

“Watching his development over his time with us on the BA Television and Radio Production course has been a privilege and a real inspiration to his fellow students.

“Always quick to help out on our Open Days, award shows and as Head of Shock Radio, he has proven himself to be a true professional and a genuinely great guy! Super pleased for him, he will smash this!”

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Lyndon Saunders, Senior Lecturer and Subject Group Head for Broadcast Media, went on to add: “As soon as we heard Matt take to the student airwaves at Salford, we knew he would be snapped up by somebody big before too long. It’s just amazing to discover that he’s going national on BBC Radio 1.

“He’s so hard working, so determined, but so humble about his on air talent. I’ve worked with Matt in a producer capacity as well and he has an incredible work ethic – a gift for the journalism and storytelling side of radio too. In short, radio is in his veins, and we’re thrilled he’s making his dream a reality.”

You’ve done your department, Salford and Greater Manchester as a whole proud, Matt – we look forward to hearing you on the airwaves for years to come!

As far as universities go, UoS continues to be a brilliant proving ground for up-and-coming media talent.

MediaCity launches brand new state-of-the-art creative content space
We can’t guarantee every Salford student will go on to be a BBC Radio 1 presenter, but they’ll certainly stand you in good stead.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — University of Salford (Supplied)

TV & Showbiz

ITV’s Dancing on Ice is being taken off the air after nearly two decades

Danny Jones Danny Jones Dancing on Ice taken off air by ITV

A UK TV staple looks to have come to an end after nearly 20 years as ITV appears to have axed, or at the very least shelved, their long-standing annual show, Dancing on Ice.

The celebrity ice-skating competition and reality programme started all the way back in 2006 and was a British favourite for a long time, especially during the heyday of X-Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, I’m A Celeb and the like.

However, following a slump over recent years, ITV has announced that Dancing on Ice will not be returning next year and could be seemingly be sidelined indefinitely.

Confirmed on Thursday, 27 March, just over a fortnight after Coronation Street star Sam Aston (Chesney Brown) won the 2025 final, it looks like you won’t be seeing celebs skating on ice again for some time.

Speaking to the Metro, a spokesperson for the broadcaster said in an official statement: “Following another successful series earlier this year, Dancing On Ice will be rested in 2026 with no current plans for another series.”

dancing on ice finished ITV
The 2025 Dancing on Ice lineup (Credit: ITVX)

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the cast and crew who have worked on the show since 2006, and over the previous 17 series, for all of their hard work both on and off the ice.”

An average of just under three million viewers tuned into ITV1 live for the launch of the most recent show back in January, while approximately 3.6 million tuned in to watch the first episode last year.

Presented by familiar famous faces, Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern, judged by ice skating legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, as well as dancing duo Ashley Banjo and Oti Mabuse – with previous hosts including Christine Lampard and Phillip Schofield – it’s been a mainstay for 19 years.

ITV has actually halted Dancing on Ice once before just over a decade ago, when the show was rested after its ninth season; the ‘first’ run ended with an all-star series, only for it to ultimately return to our screens just four years later in 2018.

Having now been cut short just 12 months short of its 20th anniversary, fans as well as former cast and crew members alike have been bidding it bittersweet goodbye:

Radio and TV enthusiast Ryan Glendenning went on to add: “Also take a moment to acknowledge the hard work that went into Dancing on Ice from the pros, behind the scenes people, choreographers, judges and the celebs.

“Back in the Ray Quinn/Hayley Tamadon days, the show thrived – sadly, that’s not the case anymore. ITV killed this show!”

Dancing on Ice isn’t the only ITV product struggling with viewing figures of late, as even Corrie had to pause filming back in February following news of more cutbacks.

Were you a fan since day one? Are you gutted to see it go, or are you expecting it to make another comeback somewhere down the line?

Let us know in the comments.

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Featured Images — ITV (screenshot/press image)

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