Love Is Blind UK season 3 star Yasmin Toseafa has opened up about the nerve-wracking moment she decided to reveal her skin condition to her pod dates on the Netflix reality series.
The star, who is of Egyptian-Lebanese and Ghanaian heritage, was diagnosed with vitiligo at the age of eight. The condition causes patches of skin to turn white due to a lack of melanin, according to the NHS.
A 20-year journey to self-acceptance
For years, Yasmin camouflaged herself with makeup, refusing to let her natural beauty shine through. That changed when supermodel Winnie Harlow, who also has vitiligo, became a global icon.
“I thought to myself, if this woman can be a Victoria’s Secret supermodel, I can open the doors to the postman without covering up all the time,” Yasmin said.
She credited a period of isolation after contracting Covid with prompting her to reconsider her legacy. “I decided that if the thing that I’m most worried about is people finding out about my vitiligo, why don’t I just take that fear away and tell everyone?” she said.
Yasmin posted a makeup-free photo on social media and threw her phone away for five hours. “When I finally picked it up, the response was just fantastic. I can’t believe it took me 20 years to do it, but that was the beginning,” she added.
Revealing her truth in the pods
Since then, Yasmin has graced the pages of Vogue magazine, became the first Miss Universe GB finalist with vitiligo, and is also a qualified associate physician.
On the show, she was initially unsure whether to tell her dates about her condition. “I was very back and forth about whether or not I was going to share it,” she said.
The decision came after speaking with fellow contestant Hannah. “After about three or four days, I was speaking to one of the other girls in the pods, Hannah, and I was just telling her what I’ve achieved in the last few years – the modelling I do, the first Miss Universe Britain with vitiligo – and she was like, ‘Oh, have you told any of the guys this?’” Yasmin recalled.
Her first date that day happened to be with Jordan, a teacher and former military soldier. “I was so nervous, and Jordan happened to be the first date that I had that day. I’m actually so glad it was because the first time telling someone was so emotionally charged, and as you can see, I was very emotional about it, but Jordan’s response was perfect, and I feel like it brought us closer,” she said.
Moving forward with confidence
Yasmin has watched back the moment repeatedly and still sobs every time. “I remember how I was feeling at that time, and how it just brought me back to being that vulnerable girl who camouflaged all the time and was so worried about what people would think of her. I’m really proud of myself that I worked through those feelings and was able to share it with Jordan,” she said.
Despite the chemistry between them, Jordan ultimately ended the experiment, unable to commit to the wedding. Yasmin, however, is moving forward with newfound confidence and clarity about what she wants in a partner.
“I now know moving forward that I’m never going to put myself in that position again. The partner I search for is going to be one that makes it very clear to me how they feel about me,” she said.
Episodes nine and ten of Love Is Blind are available to stream from August 26.
