Sam Workman's Untold Villa Challenge
Love Island 2026 contestant Sam Workman has revealed the unseen difficulties he faced inside the Majorcan villa due to his hearing loss. The 26-year-old entered the show as an original islander but was dumped after 16 days without finding a romantic connection.
Despite enjoying his experience, Sam admitted that life in the luxurious villa was tough at times. One of the hardest moments came every night after lights out, when he removed his hearing aids to sleep.
Feeling Left Out in the Dark
“Every night I’d take my hearing aids out before going to sleep, and sometimes, just five minutes later, everyone would start chatting in bed,” Sam said. “I’d be lying there listening to silence while everyone else was laughing and talking because I simply couldn’t hear them. It was quite isolating and made me realise how easily people with hearing loss can feel left out without anyone even noticing.”
Group chats also proved challenging, as he couldn’t always lip read. His hearing aids picked up background noise like birds and wind, alongside multiple people talking at once. “I’m constantly concentrating to work out what people are saying. That level of focus can be tiring, and I think it’s something many people don’t realise about living with hearing loss,” he added.
Breaking the Stigma
Sam, who first wore hearing aids at age four, said there is a stigma around them but has been overwhelmed by supportive messages since leaving. “Hearing aids should be seen the same way glasses are — as something enabling, not something to hide. And today they’re genuine pieces of tech, connecting to your phone, streaming calls and music, not just helping you hear better.”
He admitted he would struggle without his aids in daily life, let alone in the villa. Former contestant Tasha Ghouri, who also has a cochlear implant, previously spoke about her own struggles on the show in 2023.
Tasha Ghouri's Similar Experience
Tasha told the Mirror that after her stint, she feared she “wasn’t representing” her community well enough. “I felt like I wasn’t representing my community. That’s why I was quite emotional in there because I was like am I failing but I’m a failure like these things were going through my head.” She said support messages “massively outweighed the negatives.”
She also opened up about the pressure to “act a certain way because I wear a cochlear implant.” On YouTube, she explained: “Going into the show and really wanting to show people that just because you have a superpower, it doesn’t define you — it’s just part of something special that you have.”
Sam spoke through his partnership with Boots Hearingcare, hoping his story will encourage others to get their hearing checked.
