Love Island: Who is Zara? Meet the model who’s worked with Aitch and Headie One

Contestant, 25, said her love life is ‘a bit shambolic’

Love Island is back in South Africa for its second ever winter edition, with a whole new batch of hopefuls competing to find someone who’s “100 per cent their type on paper”.

The contestants in the villa this year include the show’s first partially sighted star, a contestant with vitiligo, and one who has been a body double for Emma Watson.

Joining them is 25-year-old Londoner Zara Deniz Lackenby-Brown. Find out more about Zara, from her Instagram profile to her biggest “ick”, below…

What is Zara’s job?

Zara is a model and property developer.

She said she has also “always loved being on stage and performing”, adding: “I did musical theatre and performing arts at university. I’m fully trained in ballet, tap and jazz and have singing qualifications which led me to get scouted as a model.

“I’ve since gone onto do lots of modelling and dancing for music videos for UK and global artists, I’ve worked with people like Hardy Caprio, Headie One, Aitch, Tione Wayne and more.”

What is her dating history?

Before going into the villa, Zara said: “My love life is a bit shambolic so it would be nice to date in a different environment as whatever I’m doing at the minute isn’t working.”

Talking about being single, she said: “I have very high standards because of the industry I’m in but also because of my family. My parents have a great relationship, I’ve got an amazing mother and father and I know what works in a relationship.”

What gives Zara the “ick”?

“Players and if someone’s boring and doesn’t have any aspirations or ambition,” she said. “Also guys that aren’t into their fitness and health.”

What is Zara’s Instagram?

You can find Zara on Instagram here, but this year all the contestants’ pages will be disabled while they’re in the villa.

In an unprecedented move, ITV has asked them to make their accounts “dormant” while they are on the show so that nothing can be published on their behalf, in efforts to prevent the “adverse effects of social media”.