Love Island’s Yewande is ‘proud’ she didn’t quit despite finding it ‘hard to find love’ amid race row
RACE-ROW Love Island star Yewande Biala says she is “proud” she did not quit despite facing constant rejection.
The scientist, 23, admits it was hard for her to find love on the ITV2 dating show.
But its final black contestant insists her fellow Islanders are not racist — amid increasing concerns about equality.
She told The Sun: “It is hard to find love in the villa.
“You are thrown in with people you don’t know from different areas, from different parts of the world, and it’s hard to get to know people.
“I don’t think the question is, ‘Is it hard as a black woman to find love in the villa’?
“It’s such a different environment. If we put race aside, it is hard to find love.”
Yewande got the boot after partner Danny Williams chose to couple up with newcomer Arabella Chi.
She went on: “It was really hard to stay and watch the person you like crack on with someone else but I came for an experience and to meet someone.
“Giving up, I would have let myself down. Unfortunately I was dumped but I was really happy I didn’t walk.”
Yewande was last person to be picked in the first coupling-up ceremony — the fourth successive year it had happened to a contestant of an ethnic minority.
Former Islander Marcel Somerville, who faced the same fate in 2017, called on the show to ensure equality for ethnic-minority hopefuls.
He said: “They don’t take into consideration people’s tastes. They need to make sure people match up in terms of types.
“As a person of ethnic background you do feel, ‘Is it because I’m black?’”
Being publicly rejected also brought back terrible memories for Yewande, whose one and only boyfriend cheated on her.
She said of Danny: “Some of the things he was saying — I’ve heard it all before from a past relationship.
“The Danny situation did trigger me a lot more as I feel it’s a reoccurring issue in my love life, that there’s a third party always involved.
"That’s why I was so hurt about what happened.”
Dubliner Yewande now says she will take a break from dating following her stint on the show.
She added: “I’m not going to get back on the dating scene straight away. I think that would be a bad move.
“I need to take some time out for myself and heal from the situation.”
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Ace's ex transfers in
ENGLAND footballer Ben Chilwell’s ex Joanna Chimonides is being lined up to join Love Island this week when 12 new contestants enter the show.
Joanna will be one of six new beauties hoping to lure the lads away as part of the programme’s Casa Amor twist.
Leicester City star Ben, 22, dumped Joanna last year but sources say he’s now fuming about her decision to appear on the series.
A source said: “Ben is furious even though he dumped her last summer because he wanted to be single. They had stayed good friends until she told him she was going on Love Island.
“She thought Ben was partying too much and he thought she was the right person at the wrong time.”
Casa Amor sees the current crop of contestants split by gender — with half moved into a rival villa several miles away from the main house.
For the first time, the girls will move to Casa Amor this year and the lads stay put.
Both villas will welcome six arrivals, who must try to tempt those in relationships away from their partners to become part of the show line-up.