The first black couple to win Love Island have said they hope their victory will “set the pace for more diverse representation”.
Mimii Ngulube (24) and Josh Oyinsan (29) said their win was “overwhelming but in the best possible way”, after they were announced as the champions of the ITV show’s 11th series on Monday.
The pair said they hoped their win would “balance the scales” for a more diverse group of contestants in future series.
Your #LoveIsland Series 11 winners are… Mimii and Josh! ❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/ohaVXp9zJp
— Love Island (@LoveIsland) July 29, 2024
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Oyinsan said: “I definitely feel proud.
“To be able to add a little bit to help balance the scales, if it means greater diverse representation, that is great.
“We are just happy to write history.”
Ngulube added: “I’m so shocked about it. It’s nice.
“Hopefully it will set the pace for more diverse representation. It’s overwhelming, but in the best possible way.”
They said the most challenging part of their time in the villa was at the end, when they said they were surrounded by “so many opinionated people”.
Ngulube said: “We knew what we had, and we knew we were good, but to have other comments trying to throw us off track was difficult.
“We just trusted in us and kept communicating and reassuring each other though.”
Their victory was announced by presenter Maya Jama and saw the couple win a £50,000 prize.
The pair said their highlight in the villa was when they met each other’s families on the show, which they said was “a great reassurance and took us to another level”.
Speaking about the first time he saw Ngulube, Oyinsan said: “When I first saw her, I was so taken aback.
“Obviously I had watched a bit and saw how she was so I was already fond of her.
“But coming in I was cool, calm and collected until she walked in. I knew straight away.
“She wasn’t really looking at me, she said she was, but she’s got a good poker face.”
Category is: Your Fit, Fabulous Finalists 😍 #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/hOdUji4XKc
— Love Island (@LoveIsland) July 30, 2024
The winners said they had no regrets from their time on the show, with Oyinsan saying it was “all positives for me, even the arguments”.
Welsh couple Nicole Samuel and Ciaran Davies finished as runners-up during the grand final, while fellow islanders Matilda Draper and Sean Stone came third, and Jessica Spencer and Ayo Odukoya placed fourth.
