Yewande Biala claims she "struggled" on ‘Love Island’ because of the colour of her skin.
The 23-year-old scientist has insisted herself, Iranian Islander Anna Vakili and even eventual winner Amber Gill – who is mixed race – all found it hard in their hunt for romance.
Speaking on the BBC’s 1Xtra Talks, she said: "We didn’t find anyone who liked us. It was always someone coming in and saying, ‘My type is blonde and petite.’
"We’d just look at each other and say, ‘They’re obviously not here for us.’ "
Yewande – who left the show after Danny Williams chose to pair up with Arabella Chi instead of her – also insisted it is tougher "being black and in the media".
She explained: "When I got into this I realised being black is hard, but being black and in the media is harder.
"You have to stand out and you have to do more and it can get quite frustrating. You feel like you’re not doing enough, but just keep pushing to keep doing what you’re doing and someone will see how amazing you are.
"I tried not to read any articles about myself because I didn’t want to get upset. I think they were trying to label me as the angry black woman, which was kind of insane.
"Not once in the villa did I ever raise my voice or feel like I acted in that way, even considering the circumstances I was in."
Despite her struggles – and being dumped – Yewande previously said she has no regrets over her decision to head into the villa.
She said: "I think it was the right decision for me to go on ‘Love Island’.
"What better way to break down your walls than to go on a love show that forces you to open up a little bit more. And that’s what I did, [but] it did take me a while…"
Yewande Biala: Skin colour made it harder on Love Island
