Love Island: Who Luton makeup artist Lana Jenkins coupled up with as she makes debut on ITV2 show

Love Island hit screens again last night (January 16) for its ninth series.

The reality show on ITV2 and ITVX saw 10 singletons embark on their journey to find love in a fancy South African villa for the first winter series since the coronavirus pandemic. Among the contestants is 25-year-old Lana Jenkins, a makeup artist from Luton who has been single for nearly three years and is ready to find ‘the one’.

She said: “Now’s the right time for me to be doing something a bit different. I’ve not been able to find anyone who suits me so it's good to do something totally different and try to meet someone a different way.”

She is no stranger to fame, having dated I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! runner up Owen Warner and become friends with actor Michelle Keegan. As a makeup artist, she has worked with famous faces while on sets of shows like Hollyoaks and Brassic. Lana said: “In my work as a makeup artist I’ve worked with lots of celebrities.”

But this isn’t her first TV appearance, she explained: “When I was six years old I used to live in Spain and I was in an episode of Benidorm as an extra.”

In the first episode, Lana coupled up with Ron Hall, Love Island’s first visually-impaired contestant. Ron, 25 and from Essex, is a financial advisor and revealed that he is blind in one eye as a result of a childhood football injury.

He said: “I went in for a header and got kicked in the face. It’s added to my character, there are so many people that are worse off than me. It’s not hindered me in any shape or form.

"It’s a good conversation starter I must admit.”

Speaking about what she will bring to the villa, Lana explained: “I think I will bring a lot of flirtation, I’m funny and I think I’m just a good person - so I will probably get on with everyone. I’ll just go in there, have a laugh and have a really good time.”

This series also saw 28-year-old presenter Maya Jama host the show following Laura Whitmore’s departure from Love Island last year.