Piano Guidance
Photo by Karolina Grabowska Pexels Logo Photo: Karolina Grabowska

What disability does Love Island contestant have?

clubfoot He was born with clubfoot, a condition in which the foot faces inwards, but after numerous operations as a child, he says people can “only really tell when I walk barefoot. I've got a really short Achilles… I walk slightly on my tip toes.”

What is the easiest way to memorize keyboard keys?
What is the easiest way to memorize keyboard keys?

The most common method, and arguably the easiest, for remembering the keys on a keyboard is to use the F and J keys as reference points. On most...

Read More »
What is the famous quote in the world?
What is the famous quote in the world?

Famous quotes in English Quote Who Whatever you are, be a good one. Abraham Lincoln You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of...

Read More »

ITV reality show Love Island has announced its first contestant with a physical disability. Hugo Hammond, a PE teacher and cricketer from Hampshire, was born with clubfoot, which makes the foot twist downwards and inwards. Despite ITV’s efforts to improve diversity on the show, there have been mixed opinions from the disability community.

Who is Hugo Hammond?

Hugo Hammond is a 24-year-old secondary school PE teacher and international cricket player from Hampshire. He says he “absolutely loves” his job as a teacher and is a fan of all sports, explaining: “It’s great to be able to pass on that enthusiasm to be physically active to the younger generation and hopefully they feel the same about me teaching them.” As well as teaching, Hugo has played sport for his country, having travelled to places such as Bangladesh and Dubai as a member of the England PD (Physical Disability) cricket team. He was born with clubfoot, a condition in which the foot faces inwards, but after numerous operations as a child, he says people can “only really tell when I walk barefoot. I’ve got a really short Achilles… I walk slightly on my tip toes.” When it comes to love, Hugo has been single for some time and like many people, has struggled to date during the pandemic. “I saw [Love Island] as an opportunity to have an amazing, fun summer and put myself back out there,” he explained.

Reactions from the disability community on Love Island representing disabled people

Well-known people from the disability community have been sharing their reactions on Hugo being the first physically disabled contestant on Love Island. Disabled comedian Rosie Jones simply tweeted the following, feeling that inspirational porn has intruded the reality show and whether having clubfoot is true representation of disability: Are we calling this Love Island fella, ‘Inspirational’ just because he has a clubfoot then are we? Jesus Christ. https://t.co/HyQC05CPSs — Rosie Jones (@josierones) June 21, 2021 BBC entertainment reporter – and wheelchair user – Alex Taylor, shared his analysis on featuring a disabled contestant on Love Island.

Which piano chords should I learn first?
Which piano chords should I learn first?

Key of C Major C major has the first five basic piano chords. The key of C major is one of the easiest keys to begin learning the piano. There are...

Read More »
Does reading music help with reading?
Does reading music help with reading?

Research suggests that students who listen to music in the background while studying generally tend to have better reading comprehension. They are...

Read More »

“For a show that’s long-faced criticisms over a lack of diversity in its cast, the inclusion of Hugo Hammond as Love Island’s first physically disabled contestant feels a progressive move years in the making. This will still no doubt spark conversation both inside the villa and among viewers at home, which will ultimately help raise awareness. But have producers done enough to accurately reflect disability in the modern dating world? Bosses previously told The Mirror in 2019 that the villa had not been adapted for people with disabilities due to insurance costs and “budget constraints”. The nature of Hugo’s disability allows them to keep disability inclusion, and the social stigma surrounding dating someone with a disability, within convenient limits.” Writing in the Metro, Samantha Renke – a disabled woman and disability campaigner for inclusion and representation – said that she was glad to see disability represented on Love Island but amazed it has taken so long to include disabled people. She wrote: “I will never be grateful for or celebrate something that should have happened years ago. I actually find it appalling it’s taken so long for this to transpire and, after the rather damaging report Doubling Disability, which shows that 2028 will be the earliest broadcasters will hit their target of 9% off screen talent, to me it initially felt like a tokenistic and panicked approach. Box ticking or a genuine step in the right direction and a win for disability representation? You can make up your own mind.” Love Island begins Monday 28th June at 9pm on ITV2 and you can catch up on the ITV Hub.

By Emma Purcell

More on Disability Horizons…

Is listening to music on YouTube illegal?
Is listening to music on YouTube illegal?

There is almost no restriction on listening to copyrighted music; the person infringing copyright is the person sharing the music. More generally,...

Read More »
Who was the first human werewolf?
Who was the first human werewolf?

According to the legend, Lycaon, the son of Pelasgus, angered the god Zeus when he served him a meal made from the remains of a sacrificed boy. As...

Read More »
Join almost HALF A MILLION Happy Students Worldwide
Join almost HALF A MILLION Happy Students Worldwide

Pianoforall is one of the most popular online piano courses online and has helped over 450,000 students around the world achieve their dream of playing beautiful piano for over a decade.

Learn More »
What is the shifting symbol?
What is the shifting symbol?

The reality shifting symbol looks like a pair of overlapping circles arranged vertically with an S curving from top to bottom. A straight line goes...

Read More »
Do Yamaha pianos have ivory keys?
Do Yamaha pianos have ivory keys?

Today, you will find that most piano keys are made from some plastic as this is easy to make, affordable, and durable. Yamaha even designed and...

Read More »