‘Who knows what I could be missing!’ Visually impaired Love Island fan criticises decision not to include audio description this series despite having partially sighted contestant Ron Hall
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A visually impaired Love Island fan has hit out at ITV’s decision not to include an audio description for this winter series despite having a contestant with sight loss.
Lynette Proctor, 34, who is a marketing officer for Guide Dogs, and uses a guide dog herself, says she misses much of what is happening on the show as she cannot see.
She believes this season would have been ideal for bosses to introduce an audio description as the show features Islander Ron Hall, 25, who lost the sight in his right eye while playing football at the age of eight.
She told the Mirror: ‘Of all the years to add audio description, this would be the one to do it. Who knows what I could be missing?’
Lynette said she was ‘delighted’ when Ron was cast but is disappointed she could be missing out on parts of the show.
Disappointed: A visually impaired Love Island fan has hit out at ITV’s decision not to include an audio description for this winter series despite having a contestant with sight loss (Islander Ron Hall, pictuerd, lost the sight in his right eye aged eight)
A spokesman for Guide Dogs told the newspaper: ‘We were so pleased to see Ron Hall in this year’s line-up, but what about the people who are blind and partially sighted who want to watch him on the show?’
An ITV spokesperson added: ‘We don’t receive a finished version until after transmission – and although we can provide subtitles live, we don’t yet have that technical capability for audio description.’
MailOnline has contacted ITV and Guide Dogs for further comment.
Ron told MailOnline last month that he was cruelly nicknamed ‘Popeye’ at school but says he overcame bullies by making light of his disability.
The financial advisor from Essex, said he would make jokes to cope with remarks about his impairment, even calling himself ‘Ron One Eye.’
Ron was playing a game of football when a nasty accident left him with a detached retina and after having over 10 operations to restore his sight, he was told by doctors that it would never return.
Until the age of 18 he suffered horrendous pain due to UV and sunlight and professionals were stunned when it disappeared as he entered his late teens.
He explained: ‘When I was eight I was playing football in a match and the ball basically came over and I went down to head the ball. He went up with his foot, basically knocked me out and detached my retina.
Miffed: Lynette Proctor, 34, who is a marketing officer for Guide Dogs, and uses a guide dog herself, misses much of what is happening on the show as she cannot see
‘I had a lot of operations, I don’t know what happened but it became very severe and they weren’t working.
‘I can’t remember how many operations I had between a year and two years, probably between 10-12, I have silicone oil in the back of it and a buckle and basically by operation 6 or 7 they told me I won’t get my sight back.’
The new Love Island contestant spoke about the pain he suffered as a result of the injury, saying he was in agony for years of his life before the soreness eventually stopped.
Fighting back: Love Island’s first partially sighted signing Ron Halls was cruelly nicknamed ‘Popeye’ at school but says he overcame bullies by making light of his disability
He said: ‘Obviously, I was a kid at the time and I didn’t want any pain but the problem was from the age of 8-18, it was extremely painful.
‘UV light, sunlight, it was almost like someone pocking you in the eye all the time. But for some reason and we have no idea to this day when I was about 18/19 the pain just stopped.
‘I could open my eye properly and look out into the sun with no sunglasses and it no longer waters.’
Making light: The 25-year-old, who lost the vision in his right eye aged eight, told MailOnline he would make jokes to cope with taunts, even calling himself ‘Ron One Eye’
Raising awareness: Ron follows in the footsteps of 2022 Islander Tasha Ghouri, who was the first deaf contestant to appear on the show
Despite Ron’s best efforts to get on with his life as normal, he details being picked on by school bullies and called names, though he quickly found a way to stay strong against any hatred.
He said: ‘Yes, when I was younger people called me pirate, Popeye, but I used to call myself and my Xbox name was Ron One Eye and we would make jokes about it all the time.
‘The fact I always made jokes and me and my friends made jokes you become very comfortable with anyone that says anything and I’ve never really been impacted by bullying.
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‘When I was younger, I was more self conscious about taking pictures because it used to close up a little bit.
‘Even now when it comes down to talking to camera or pictures sometimes, I have a little head tilt because I’ve naturally developed a head tilt, sometimes I can look to centre camera and my eye might be slightly right so there are things that I always pick up on, like anyone about their own body.’
Ron is Love Island’s first visionally impaired signing and follows in the footsteps of 2022 contestant Tasha Ghouri, who was born completely deaf and now wears a cochlear hearing aid.
LOVE ISLAND 2023: MEET THE CONTESTANTS
Tanya Manhenga
Name: Tanya Manhenga
Age: 22
Location: Liverpool
Occupation: Student and model
Something not many people know about her: ‘I have Vitiligo, which is a skin pigmentation, you may not even notice it.’
‘It’s on my lip and I have a stripe on my hair. Not many people know that but I think it’s quite cute.’
‘I don’t care about covering it up all the time, I think it’s a vibe.’
Lana Jenkins
Name: Lana Jenkins
Age: 25
Location: Luton
Occupation: Makeup artist
Something not many people know about her: ‘In my work as a makeup artist I’ve worked with lots of celebrities.
‘Also, when I was 6-years-old I used to live in Spain and I was in an episode of Benidorm as an extra.’
Tanyel Revan
Name: Tanyel Revan
Age: 26
Location: North London
Occupation: Hair stylist
Something not many people know about her: ‘My celebrity crush is Channing Tatum – I don’t like pretty boys, they give me the ‘ick’ because they always have a crap personality.’
‘Channing Tatum is handsome but not too pretty. He’s manly and he can dance.’
‘If a man can dance I’m in love with him straight away.’
Olivia Hawkins
Name: Olivia Hawkins
Age: 27
Location: Brighton
Occupation: Ring girl and actress
Something not many people know about her: ‘I did a film with Jason Statham and had a nice 10-minute convo about life.’
‘I’ve been a ring girl for KSI, I played a waitress in James Bond with Daniel Craig and I’ve also been a body double for Michelle Keegan and Emma Watson.’
Tom Clare
Name: Tom Clare
Age: 23
Location: Barnsley
Occupation: Semi-Pro Footballer
Something not many people know about him: I’m a High School Musical fan
Aaron Waters
Name: Aaron Waters
Age: 25
Location: Melbourne
Occupation: Model
Something not many people know about him: He thinks his appearance on Love Island UK was ‘diving timing’
Ellie Spence
Name: Ellie Spence
Age: 25
Location: Norwich
Occupation: Business Development Executive at a law firm
Something not many people know about her: “When I was drunk I climbed over the gates of my friend’s house, fell and almost lost my leg.”
Samie Elishi
Name: Samie Elishi
Age: 22
Location: London
Occupation: Senior Estate Agent Coordinator
Something not many people know about her: ‘I’m a really honest person and I have no filter. I won’t take rubbish from anyone, especially when it comes to guys!’
Kai Fagan
Name: Kai Fagan
Age: 24
Location: Manchester
Occupation: Science and PE teacher
Something not many people know about him: ‘I’m a Jamaican citizen. Because of that I played rugby 7s for Jamaica.’
‘I play semi-professional rugby now for Burnage RFC.’
‘I’ve technically got three different degrees and went to three different unis.’
Ron Hall
Name: Ron Hall
Age: 25
Location: Essex
Occupation: Financial advisor
Something not many people know about him: ‘On meeting me, you’d never know I am blind in one eye.’
‘It was the result of a football injury when I was 8. I’ve got two different coloured eyes, one blue and one green.’
Will Young
Name: Will Young
Age: 23
Location: Buckinghamshire
Occupation: Farmer
Something not many people know about him: ‘Every night I light a candle and meditate for 20-25 minutes.’
‘A girl I was seeing told me to meditate, I tried it and loved it. I stopped seeing her and carried on meditating!
‘It’s a nice way to self reflect.’
Shaq Muhammad
Name: Shaq Muhammad
Age: 24
Location: London
Occupation: Airport security officer
Something not many people know about him: ‘I’m a very emotional person. It can be a blessing and a curse.’
‘Every time I watch Dear John I cry.
That’s my favourite film. Any time I’m with someone and they say, ‘Let’s watch a romantic film’, I’m like, ‘How about Dear John, how does that sound?’
Jessie Wynter
Name: Jessie Wynter
Age: 26
Location: Sydney
Occupation: Personal Trainer
Something you may not know about her: She was on series two of Love Island Australia
Spencer Wilks
Name: Spencer Wilks
Age: 24
Location: Bournemouth
Occupation: E-Commerce Business Owner
Something not many people know about him: He loves Justin Bieber
Jordan Odofin
Name: Jordon Odofin
Age: 28
Location: London
Occupation: Senior HR Advisor
Something not many people know about him: ‘I don’t have a twin but everyone says me and one of my brothers look identical’
Casey O’Gorman
Name: Casey O’Gorman
Age: 26
Location: Tring
Occupation: Recruitment Consultant
Something not many people know about her: ‘I’m really squeamish. I once cut my hand and passed out’
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