Their chemistry was undeniable to fans.
Love Island has become a cultural phenomenon, full of dramatic twists and whirlwind romances.
Through the years, there has been a diverse cast of islanders to grace the villa.
South Asian contestants have brought a new perspective to the show and represented a historically marginalised community in television.
From the first couple of couples to claim the crown to creating iconic moments, these contestants have broken stereotypes and added depth to the show’s narrative.
South Asian individuals include people from Indian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, and Bengali communities.
Join DESIblitz as we look at ten memorable South Asian stars of Love Island.
Munveer Jabbal
Munveer Jabbal was part of the original cast for Love Island Season 11.
Munveer is a Punjabi Sikh from London and was a recruitment manager before the show started.
Speaking about joining the show, he said: “London dating hadn’t worked out.
“The opportunity to be surrounded by good-looking people in a villa under the sun is an absolute no-brainer.”
In his introduction video for Love Island, he told a salacious story about sleeping with three girls in one day.
However, despite that, he kept it pretty low-key on the show.
He said: “I’m going to be very respectful. Representing the South Asian community, [sex in the villa] goes against everything we stand for.
“So, I’m going to keep it PG for sure.”
However, Munveer did not have much success in the villa.
On Day 1, he was coupled up with Mimii Ngulube, and on Day 5, he was coupled up with Patsy, whom he stayed with until they were both voted out as the public’s least favourite couple.
Lochan Nowacki
Lochan Nowacki joined Season 10 as part of the Casa Amor cast.
He is half-Indian and half-Polish and went to the villa looking for “someone with good morals, someone who’s respectful of whoever they’re speaking to, someone who is like me and quite adventurous.”
He met Whitney Adebayo in Casa Amor, and she brought him back to the main villa.
They remained together and were runners-up on the show.
However, many fans were shocked that the couple did not win, with over 57% of fans predicting them to be the winning couple.
Despite this, they were shocked to get the runner-up position.
Lochan said at the time: “Extremely grateful that the public saw what I saw in Whitney. Being in the final was a real shock.”
The couple are still going strong and often posts each other on their social media.
Sanam Harrinanan
Sanam Harrinanan is the most successful South Asian contestant on Love Island.
She is of Indo-Caribbean descent and entered the Love Island villa during Season 9’s Casa Amor, where she quickly found a connection with Kai Fagan.
Their chemistry was undeniable to fans, and they became the first Casa Amor couple to win the show.
Following their victory, the couple have gone from strength to strength and are now engaged, with their wedding set for August 1, 2025.
Sanam has embraced her Indian heritage and has spoken about the importance of representation in mainstream media.
Before the show, Sanam worked as a social worker, a profession she cared deeply about.
After her rise in fame, she has expressed a desire to continue working in social care and positively impact her community.
Tasha Ghouri
Tasha Ghouri is a model and dancer who entered Love Island in the eighth season.
She was a prominent addition, being the first deaf contestant on the show.
However, many are unaware that Tasha is of South Asian descent from her father’s side.
Tasha coupled up with Andrew Le Page on the show, and they finished fourth.
The couple have been together for over two years, but rumours have surfaced that they secretly split at the beginning of January 2025 after she was spotted on a dating app.
In 2024, Tasha competed in Strictly Come Dancing, where she was runner-up and celebrated for raising awareness for the deaf community.
She has also advocated for introducing British Sign Language as a GCSE subject and inspires others to share their journeys and experiences.
Priya Gopaldas
Priya Gopaldas is a doctor of Indian descent who gained recognition in the seventh season of Love Island.
Her time on the show was interesting. She entered on Day 42 and coupled up with Brett Staniland.
The couple were dumped only seven days later after receiving the fewest public votes.
Since her time on Love Island, Priya has discussed healthcare and fitness on several UK daytime shows.
Priya has also advocated for lung health awareness, having publicly spoken about her chronic lung condition, bronchiectasis.
She collaborates with organisations like Lung and Asthma UK to spread awareness about lung-related illnesses.
When asked about the lack of diversity in Love Island, she said: “I think the show has become more diverse, but I don’t think that the diversity is appropriate.”
Shannon Singh
Shannon Singh is a model, influencer and DJ of South Asian and Scottish descent.
She joined Love Island on Day 1 of the seventh season and was initially coupled with Aaron.
Her time on the show was brief as she was dumped 48 hours later – one of the quickest on the show.
After leaving the show, she faced a lot of online hate and admitted: “Love Island almost broke me, if I’m being completely honest.
“When I came out of the show, it was a negative time because I felt like I’d let my family down.”
“I was so embarrassed, like, so embarrassed. I still am.
“But I’m also proud of myself because I feel like I did handle it well when I came off the show.”
Despite only being on the show for 48 hours, Shannon has made a name for herself and has found success on OnlyFans.
Nas Majeed
Nas Majeed first appeared on the sixth series of Love Island in the show’s first winter edition in South Africa.
He is of Pakistani and Guyanese descent and was born in London.
While in the villa, he was coupled with Siânnise Fudge, Jess Gale and Demi Jones.
In the Casa Amor segment, he formed a connection with Eva Zapico.
The couple was eliminated on Day 30 after receiving the fewest public votes.
However, the couple remained together for four years after the show ended and split in 2024.
In 2025, Nas returned to the villa for the second series of Love Island: All-Stars.
Beyond reality TV, Nas has remained active on social media and has worked as a LADBible and Sky Mobile presenter.
Niall Aslam
Niall Aslam gained prominence as a contestant on the fourth season of Love Island.
He entered the villa on Day 1 and quickly became a fan favourite due to his charismatic personality.
He coupled up with Kendall Rae-Knight but had her stolen away by Adam Collard.
Unfortunately, Niall had to leave the villa on Day 9 for “personal reasons”.
This was later revealed to be a stress-induced psychotic episode.
He shared that he watched the remainder of the series from a psychiatric hospital in London.
Niall has raised a lot of awareness about mental health, and since leaving the show, he has become an advocate for mental health awareness and autism support.
He serves as an ambassador for the National Autistic Society and uses his presence on social media to share his advocacy work.
Malin Andersson
Malin Andersson is half Swedish and half Sri Lankan, and she entered the second season of Love Island.
She coupled up with Rykard Jenkins and later Terry Walsh but was eventually dumped from the island on Day 25.
She then reappeared later in the series and had a famous argument with Terry Walsh, who moved on a bit too quickly once she was dumped from the island.
Following her time on the island, Malin has faced many personal challenges.
She lost her first daughter, Consy, in 2019 and has been open about her struggles with domestic abuse, eating disorders and grief.
Malin hosts a podcast called Conscious Conversations, which discusses healing and personal growth topics.
She also supports the NHS ‘New Year Quit Smoking’ campaign and shared her story of quitting smoking after the birth of her daughter, Xaya.
Omar Sultani
Omar Sultani appeared on the first season of Love Island.
He entered the villa on Day 1 and was dumped on Day 21, and previous to the show, he worked as a property developer.
He described himself as a “man about town” and a “bit of a Jack the lad,” claiming that “everyone knows who I am.”
Omar announced the birth of his daughter, Kehlani Lucia Sultani, on June 23, 2024, and expressed his joy at her arrival.
After Love Island, he has worked on several endeavours, including as a banker and practising yoga.
He has been featured on Boys of Yoga and maintains an active presence on Instagram, sharing updates about his personal and professional life.
The presence of South Asian contestants on Love Island is more than just a moment of visibility.
It reshapes narratives and promotes inclusivity in mainstream entertainment.
From challenging stereotypes to showcasing the lives of people from the South Asian community, these contestants have resonated with audiences everywhere.
As Love Island continues to evolve, it will be great to see how South Asians continue to break into mainstream spaces and promote diversity.