Love Island's Sam Workman hopes his hearing loss story will inspire viewers

3 June 2026, 21:00

Love Island's Sam Workman has opened up about being deaf and wearing hearing aids since he was four years old.

Love Island 2026 contestant Sam Workman entered the villa as an OG and instantly hit it off with Robyn Langton. She told him she was really loud and he replied: "Loud's good! I'm deaf."

While some fans were concerned that bombshells George Knight and Yasmin Hadlow would dump from the villa, we hope Sam gets. good run on the series as he revealed that he hopes to inspire other hard of hearing people.

The 25-year-old electrician has opened up about going deaf at a young age and wearing hearing aids from the age of four.

• Read more: Love Island 2026 ages: How old are the cast and who is the oldest?

Talking to OK! he said: "I've worn them [hearing aids] since I was four years old. So they are really a big part of who I am... I would say that it's helped me with my confidence."

He opened up about struggling with wearing hearing aids as a kid, explaining: "Going through school, obviously, you get people that will always say things. I always say that if I was to get them at this age, then I would feel very self-conscious about them. I probably wouldn't want to wear them."

However, the contestant from Dudley hopes his appearance on the dating show will help other hearing aid wearers feel more confident.

Sam added: "It'll be nice for other people to see it on TV. They’ve helped me with confidence growing up and going through school.

"They don’t bother me anymore and I don't notice they’re even there half the time, but it would be nice for people that I know there's a lot of people that have them and don't want to wear them because they're I'd be self-conscious about them.

"So if they see me on TV wearing them, then hopefully someone realises they are nothing to be embarrassed about."

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Sam also revealed how he used to play with a football team, Birmingham County, who were all completely deaf. He acted as the team's interpreter and says it was "a good experience of meeting people from that community."

He also told Closer that he hopes to link up with series 8's Tasha Ghouri who was the first - and only other - deaf contestant on Love Island.

Read more Love Island news here:

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• Love Island star shades Ope for "performing" for the cameras after second fall
• Love Island's Mica reveals link to Rihanna because of her famous family
• Love Island's Samraj Toor: Age, job, where he’s from and more
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