Lauren headed for Love Island
GREEN LIGHT AFTER SHOW EMBRACES DIVERSITY
TRANS beauty and activist Lauren Harries is set to join Love Island later this year after producers vowed to increase the diversity of contestants.
The shows bosses are said to be encouraging intersex and non- binary individuals to apply for the 2019 series.
And that gives the green light to 41- year- old Lauren, who was born James and who found fame aged 10 as an antiques expert who appeared on the Wogan chat show. A source close to Love Island said: “There has been criticism that it selects a very narrow range of contestants and it’s time to improve diversity.
“Lauren, who is one of the best known trans personalities in Britain, would tick so many boxes. And she looks great on a beach!” It was announced last week that the hit reality show had opened its application process and asked potential contestants whether they identify as “male, female, non- binary or intersex”.
Intersex people are born with any of several variations of male and female genitalia while non- binary people don’t fall into strict gender category.
The much- loved ITV2 series has faced criticism for focusing on heterosexual relationships to the exclusion of others.