Influencer Patsy Field will become the latest disabled contestant to star in Love Island, MailOnline can reveal.
The Londoner, 29, was born with Erb’s palsy, which developed during her traumatic birth at Lewisham hospital.
Patsy has said she should have been born by caesarean section, but doctors made the crucial mistake of having her born naturally, resulting in a defect she has had to overcome throughout her life.
The condition means her right arm is shorter and cannot function as well as her left, and Patsy admits she has felt “self-conscious” but has learned to accept it throughout her adulthood.
She follows in the footsteps of Tasha Ghouri, who was the first deaf Islander to star in the ITV2 dating series, visually impaired Ron Hall, and Hugo Hammond, who was born with clubfoot.
Influencer Patsy Field will become the latest disabled contestant to star on Love Island, MailOnline can reveal
The Londoner was born with Erb’s palsy, which developed during her traumatic birth at Lewisham hospital.
Explaining his condition on social media, he said: ‘One thing you guys don’t know about me is that I have a disability. I’ve never talked about it here before because, to be honest, I’m a little self-conscious.
‘It’s a disability I’ve had literally since I was born. All my close friends and family know this.
‘Almost everyone says they haven’t noticed it, or they’ve never noticed it before, but once I tell you, go back and watch my old videos, you’ll be able to spot it.
“So the disability affects my right arm, I was a normal, happy, healthy baby in my mum’s womb and the hospital screwed up and gave me a disability, Lewisham hospital, you bastards.
‘It should have been a cesarean birth, but the midwife thought she could do it and she couldn’t… I was such a big baby, I weighed almost 11 pounds, a normal baby weighs like 7 pounds. I got stuck getting out of my mother… and they were pulling and pulling and pulling and in the process of pulling me out, they did some damage to me.
‘They snapped the nerve that sends messages from my brain to my spine to my right arm, messages are trying to be sent and this computer says no.
‘As a result, I have a disability called Erb’s palsy and my arm never grew that long and it doesn’t really do anything, they are completely different lengths.
‘I like to call it my Nemo lucky fin. He is smaller, has a different shape and is more curved than the other. I managed to avoid any harassment, fortunately I am a self-confident girl.
Patsy has said that she should have been born by caesarean section, but doctors made the crucial mistake of having her born naturally, giving her a defect that she has had to overcome all her life.
The condition means her right arm is shorter and cannot function as well as her left, and Patsy admits she has felt “self-conscious” but has learned to accept it.
A TV insider told MailOnline: “She has never let her disability define her, but she is also excited by the opportunity to educate audiences who may not know about Erb’s palsy.”
Patsy’s signing comes after MailOnline revealed that model Grace Jackson (pictured) had landed a place on the series.
“I don’t think it slowed me down too much. I remember being at school and seeing all the girls doing handstands and I would be like anyone else doing handstands.
“The only thing that affects me these days is that I only have one hand to use in the bedroom.”
A TV source told MailOnline: “Patsy is a brilliant hire for the show, she’s hilarious so she will definitely bring good vibes and positive energy.”
“She has never let her disability define her, but she is also excited for the opportunity to educate audiences who may not know about Erb’s palsy because awareness is key.”
Patsy’s signing comes after MailOnline revealed that model Grace Jackson had landed a place on the series, as well as Liverpool make-up artist Samantha Kenny and Welsh rugby player Ciaran Davies.
ITV will reveal the full schedule next week ahead of the launch of the show hosted by presenter Maya Jama.
In previous years, Love Island has been criticized for its lack of diversity.
But the tenth series, which begins on June 3, will look to further include body-diverse contestants and have a continued focus on contestants’ mental health and wellbeing.
The program has already confirmed that the islanders’ social media profiles will remain “inactive” during their stay in the Mallorca villa to avoid trolling and hate directed at their pages.
MailOnline has contacted ITV for comment.
