Love Island is back on TV and with it a new cast of bachelorettes heading into the villa, and one of this year’s hopefuls is Patsy Field, a 29-year-old who suffers from gill palsy, a condition that causes weakness and loss of movement in one arm.
But former Islander Tasha Gouli spoke out against limited representation of disabled people in the new series. Tasha, 25, who will become the show’s first deaf contestant when she joins the series in 2022, sarcastically wrote: “It’s nice to see the inclusivity in the Love Island cast… it feels like we’re going backwards.”
After a fan pointed out that Patsy was the first Love Island contestant with gill palsy, Tasha shared a follow-up video, explaining, “I understand that there will be girls with disabilities competing but this is just my personal opinion. I feel like TV shows just tick a box, like there’s one person with a disability and then they move on.”
“I’d like to see more. I’d like to see like two or three. This is purely an opinion of how I feel about TV shows. I’ve seen so many times, ‘We’ve seen someone with that disability before’. It’s a bit of a weird way to do it. It’s amazing that there’s a girl with that disability, but I’d still like to see more,” she added.
Patsy Field from Love Island ©ITV
This is not the first time a disabled former Islander has criticised the show: series seven featured Hugo Hammond, who has a club foot and played cricket for England’s PD (physically disabled) team, and was described by the press as Love Island’s first disabled contestant.
Among those to criticise the story was Niall Aslam, who appeared on the show for just one week in series four. Niall is autistic, and says he suffered from depression and mental illness after appearing on the show. On Instagram, Niall wrote: “Autism is a registered disability and I ended up in psychiatric care because my needs weren’t met and will have to live with these issues for the rest of my life. I fully support inclusion but to downplay the issues autistic people face is to be expected – just because they’re completely invisible doesn’t mean they don’t exist and what happened to me shows that.”
What is Erb’s palsy?
Erb’s palsy, or Erb-Duchenne palsy, occurs when a baby is injured during birth and one or more of the five main nerves that control movement and sensation in the arms are damaged during a difficult birth. It causes abnormalities in arm movement and affects approximately 1 in 750 babies.
Who is Patsy Field?
Patsy Field, from Orpington, Kent, is a 29-year-old office worker. One of the first Islanders to enter the villa in series 11, she describes herself as a “big personality” who isn’t afraid to “bring some sass” to the villa.
What does Patsy Field say about her disability?
Speaking ahead of the series, Pathy said about her disability: “I have a special disability – I was born with Ebs palsy. It doesn’t define me as a person, but it does make me a little bit special. But I’ve learnt to live with it and it’s never held me back.”
Patti also said that the show’s producers had “covered every aspect” for her on the show. She told The Sun: “We’ve left no stone unturned in terms of, ‘Am I happy to go there and take part in the day-to-day activities?’ and stuff like that. I struggle to keep my hair up but I always find something to put my arm on, or often – and you’ll probably see me there – I’ll put my arm on a friend’s shoulder and lift them up and do their hair. As the show progresses you’ll see what I can and can’t do.”