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.
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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Manchester’s Kai Fagan crowned Love Island 2023 winner with Sanam Harrinanan / Credit: ITV
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
New Amazon Prime Video docuseries to show Pep Guardiola’s final seasons at Manchester City
Emily Sergeant
A new all-access docuseries featuring Pep Guardiola’s final few seasons at Manchester City is set to air this summer.
Coming exclusively to Prime Video in the UK and Ireland, the four-part documentary is set to take Manchester City fans and neutral viewers alike inside the club as the players and manager – who delivered an era of dominance -make way for a new generation.
Filmed over the past two seasons, this is the ultimate account of an emotional farewell that marks the end of an era in English football, and will offer unfiltered access to Guardiola, his squad, and the City boardroom.
After 10 trophy-filled years – which included six Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, three FA Cups, and five EFL Cups – Pep Guardiola called time on his tenure in Manchester last month, alongside fan favourite players Bernardo Silva and John Stones, as well as Kevin De Bruyne the season prior.
This new docuseries was there to follow them every step of the process.
Fans can follow City from a disappointing 2024/25 campaign right through to a domestic double the following season, charting the raw emotion of a squad in transition.
The series is directed by Academy and BAFTA award-winning filmmaker, Kevin Macdonald, alongside City Studios’ John De Caux, and is produced by Kevin Macdonald for Plan B/KM Films and Gavin Johnson and Ged Doherty for City Studios.
“This is the ultimate account of an emotional farewell that marks the end of an era in English football,” Amazon Prime Video said in a statement.
Joining Prime Video’s wide selection of sports programming, the series will be available to watch at no additional cost to Prime members this summer.
It’ll be ready to stream on 19 August.
Featured Image – Prime Video
TV & Showbiz
Trailer released of new BBC legal drama The Split Up set and filmed in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
The first trailer for a new BBC legal drama called The Split Up that was filmed in Manchester have now been released.
The Split Up is new six-part legal drama, with a story and characters created by Ursula Rani Sarma, based on the already-existing popular BBC drama The Split, created by multiple award-winning Abi Morgan, which focuses on the personal and professional lives of the Defoes – a family of female divorce lawyers in London.
This new series, however, is set in and filmed right here in Manchester.
Set within the charged world of Manchester’s high-net-worth divorce circuit, the new pictures reveal the first glimpse of the Kishan Law family – a powerhouse British-South Asian family firm, and the go-to for the city’s elite.
The trailer for new BBC legal drama The Split Up that is set and filmed in Manchester has been released / Credit: BBC
At its centre is Aria Kishan (played by Ritu Arya) as a fast-rising star of Kishan Law, poised to step up and take the mantle from her father Dhruv, played by Sanjeev Bhaskar, and Aria’s siblings Maya (Aysha Kala), Kav (Arian Nik), and partner Neal (Danny Ashok).
So, what is The Split Up about then? A description of the upcoming series on the BBC website reads: “The death of Aria’s mother has cast a new light over succession plans for Dhruv, who has begun to wonder if his daughter can, or should, take on this responsibility single-handedly.
“Aria’s relationship is placed under scrutiny too with the wedding to long-term partner Neal on the horizon, but with their personal and professional lives so entwined it’s unclear if their relationship can withstand any more pressure – a problem further compounded when a former secret flame (Dimitri Leonidas) arrives in Manchester unexpectedly.
“Alongside her siblings Maya and Kav, whose own relationships and loyalties are far from straightforward, Aria must navigate the splits that divide family and those we love – and ask herself, who should you live your life for?”
As well as the talented ensemble cast of actors already mentioned, viewers can also expect to see a handful of standout guest stars throughout the series too – including famous faces like Lenny Henry, Jane Horrocks, and Jameela Jamil.
Filming for The Split Up wrapped in Manchester earlier this year, but as of yet, there is still no word of when the show is set to air, so keep your eyes peeled.
Further announcements about the series are expected in due course.
Emily Sergeant -
14th March 2023 
