ITV2’s Love Island returned with a brand new winter season last night, with the cast’s antics heating up our cold British evenings.
Yesterday’s premiere saw the 2023 islanders officially enter the villa, welcomed by brand new host Maya Jama, before the first couples of the season were established – although the process wasn’t without its fair share of drama.
While Olivia Hawkins and Anna-May Robey both chose to pair up with Kai Fagan, he ultimately picked Tanyel Revan so make sure you’re stocked up on popcorn as there’s bound to be a couple re-shuffle throughout the week.
One islander who’s had a breezy time around the fire pit so far is 22-year-old Tanya Manhenga, who was the first girl to walk into the villa and coupled up with her first choice, Shaq Muhammad.
With new bombshell Tom Clare on the scene and Shaq revealing ahead of his Love Island debut that he’s expecting to ‘shock’ his parents on the show, anything could happen over the next few episodes.
Here’s everything you need to know about Tanya as she heads on her Love Island journey.
Tanya Manhenga – key facts
Age: 22
Job: Biomedical science student and influencer
From: Liverpool
Instagram: @talkswithtt_
Coupled up with: Shaq Muhammad
Why did Tanya want to take part in Love Island?
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Tanya is “looking for a boyfriend”, and reckons that “being in a villa with lots of different people will help me work out who it is I may want”.
How old is Tanya on Love Island?
Biomedical science student Tanya is 22 years old, making her the second youngest girl in the 2023 cast and the third youngest contestant this year after Haris Namani (21 years old) and Anna-May Robey (20 years old).
The Liverpudlian singleton told RadioTimes.com and other press that she started her application for the show and didn’t finish it, but received a call from producers whilst at university.
“I got a phone call when I was at uni, saying, ‘Are you still interested?’ And I was like, ‘Well, yeah! I’m still single.’ And that’s just how it started from there.”
Is Tanya on Instagram?
Yes indeed – and you can follow her over on @talkswithtt_, where Tanya has 15,000 followers, a number that’s sure to shoot up once the show kicks off.
The influencer has already worked with fashion brands like Boohoo and Ego footwear, and two weeks ago, she dropped a major hint about her Love Island adventure, sharing a photo of herself posing by a Christmas tree with the caption “calm before the storm”.
Don’t expect to see any new posts from Tanya for a while, though. For the first time in the show’s history, Love Island contestants will not be allowed to have active social media profiles during this season as part of updated duty of care protocols.
Previously, islanders have tended to hand over control of their accounts to a family member or close friend during their stint in the villa, but now their accounts will remain dormant for the duration.
What is Tanya looking for in a partner?
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Tanya hasn’t yet revealed too much about her type on paper – but she made it pretty clear what she’s not looking for from her potential love interests, listing her turn-offs before entering the villa.
The Love Island hopeful said that she immediately gets the ‘ick’ if men “don’t wear socks in the house”, adding: “Why are your feet flapping all around the house?” Will she be enforcing her socks rule in the South African heat, though?
It’s also bad news for men who “have huge feet”, and anyone wishing to woo her should always make sure that their baths are filled with bubbles, as “guys in the bathtub with no bubbles [are] such an ick, no”. You’ve got to admire the specificity…
Love Island will air on ITV2 and ITVX from January 16th at 9pm. Previous seasons of Love Island are available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial.
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