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Love Island 2024 has made history after Mimii Ngulube and Josh Oyinsan became the first Black couple to win the show.
Fans of of the ITV2 dating show were declared they were "so proud" to see Ngulube and Oyinsan crowned with winning couple, beating favourites Nicole Samuel and Ciaran Davies. They walk away hand-in-hand with a prize of £50,000 to share.
Viewers shared their delight and pride on social media. Their win comes just a week after Black couple Serena Page and Kordell Beckham won the US version of Love Island.
Read more: All the winners of Love Island so far
Ngulube and Oyinsan both admitted to host Maya Jama they never thought they would even make the final. After being announced the winners the couple were speechless. Jama told them: "Congratulations. You've been so incredible. We love watching you go from strength to strength. Congratulations. I'm so happy for you guys. You can go and celebrate now."
What, how, and why?
Ngulube and Oyinsan battled it out against three other couples to win Love Island Series 11 in Mallorca.
Favourites to win were Nicole Samuel and Ciaran Davies. The Welsh couple were the bookmakers' favourites to win ITV2 dating show with odds of 2/5, over a 71 per cent chance of claiming the £50,000 prize. The 24-year-old accounts manager from Aberdare and the 21-year-old surveyor from South Wales have been coupled up since Day Five of the series. They were runners-up.
Mental health nurse Ngulube, 24 from Porstmouth was coupled up with 29-year-old semi-professional footballer and model Oyinsan from Dartford quite late into the series. Oyinsan was one of the last to enter the villa, arriving on Day 36 of 56 and coupled straight up with Ngulube four days later. They were the second favourites to win with odds of 5/2, a chance of 28 per cent.
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Oyinsan said he was proud he had been very vocal and honest Ngulube about his feelings. He said: "Being in a villa is just more intense, obviously. And people can always have opinions on what your situation is. I just said how I felt. No regrets, you know?"
Ngulube said the other women on the island had kept her composed though out the show. She told host Maya Jama: "Obviously the girls have been amazing, so it was easy to connect with them. I think we were all similar yet different, but we all were in this together. So we kind of supported each other through everything. They were literally like my therapists."
Matilda Draper and Sean Stone came third. Sweet seller Sean Stone, 24, from Hertfordshire had been struggling to find himself a partner until then, coupling up on-and-off with friend Harriett Blackmore. But when Draper, a 24-year-old recruitment consultant from Beckenham, arrived as a Bombshell on Day 17 he made a beeline for her at Casa Amor and they have been a couple for nearly five weeks.
The couple who came fourth were Ayo Odukoya and Jess Spencer. Original Islander Ayo Odukoya, a 25-year-old model from Canning Town entered the villa on Day One. He was coupled with Jess Spencer, a 25-year-old fashion stylist from London after she arrived on Day 29.
What did viewers say?
Viewers were delighted and proud of the couple.
One wrote one social media platform X: "Mimii and Josh winning is historical. FINALLY! #loveisland." Another said: "I’m so happy they won! First black couple to win love island #loveIsland."
One declared: "wowwww mimii the first black woman to win LIUK, so proud of her #loveisland."
Another gushed: "WE GOT OUR FIRST BLACK WINNERS??? OMGGG #loveisland" And another commented: "in these divisive times, I love that, as a nation, we all agreed that Mimii should be handed the 50k #loveisland."
And fans were so pleased that their win came the same year Page and Beckham won Love Island US.
One tweeted: "TWO BLACK COUPLES WON BOTH LOVE ISLANDS YALL CANT DEFEAT BLACK LOVEEEEE #loveIsland" Another posted: "Not one but TWO black couples won #LoveIsland #LoveIslandUK this year!" And another shared: "Black winners for both UK an US #LoveIsland! 2024, we’re up!"
What else happened on Love Island?
The night before the final saw TOWIE star Joey Essex and his partner Jessy Potts dumped from the show after being voted off by ex-Islanders. Essex, 34, had coupled up first with make-up artist Samantha Kenny, 26, before dumping her for social media marketing agency owner Grace Jackson, 26. Then when TikTok influencer Potts, 25, entered as another bombshell on Day 23 he dumped Jackson for her.
But Essex denied he had been playing a game and insisted he had true feelings for Potts. He said: "I understand some people might be sceptical considering how my earlier connections in the villa ended up but ultimately the show is about finding a true connection and the best connection possible and that's what I did."
Fan favourite Kenny returned for the final and host Maya Jama asked her "How are the DMs going? Better outside the villa than in it?" Kenny blushed and replied: "Not bad."
She also wished Essex a Happy Birthday, as he was celebrating turning 34 live on the final. She asked him how he felt about his time on the show and Essex replied: "No regrets."
Love Island 2024 is streaming on ITVX.
