Kaz appeared on the 2021 series of Love Island (Picture: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Love Island star Kaz Kamwi has opened up about ‘underestimating’ the impact her appearance in the villa would have on young women, as she encourages ’embracing’ textured hair.
The 27-year-old took part in the seventh series of the ITV dating show, where she made it to the final with Tyler Cruickshank, with the pair finishing in fourth place to runners-up Faye Winter and Teddy Soares, Chloe Burrows and Toby Aromolaran, and winners Liam Reardon and Millie Court.
A year after leaving the villa, Kaz has now launched a collection with Easilocks, for their new textured range, after she inspired Love Island audiences with her look in the villa.
Speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk, Kaz admitted that she ‘underestimated’ her impact, adding: ‘I didn’t anticipate that I would be having morning chats in my bonnet, but it just happened.’
She continued: ‘I think for me, it’s really amazing how even my little sisters can say to me, nothing can really shake their confidence, and for young girls to say to me, especially young Black girls, who have got different hair textures and different hair protection methods, DMing me and saying that I helped them, and people that were older than me just being like, they wish they were that bold, and they’re going to instill that in their kids.
‘I was like Wow! It’s really, really humbling.’
Kaz didn’t plan on having ‘morning chats in [her] bonnet’ (Picture: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Kaz made it to the final with Tyler (Picture: Matt Frost/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
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She continued: ‘I feel like it’s important for people with different textured [hair] to show that they’ve got different textures, because younger people can see it, and feel like, “Oh, I can do that too.”’
‘I think when we’re on the show, we’re spiralled, you’re presented in front of the nation, and the beauty aspect of it is so important, because there’s such a huge focus on it, and I always say to everyone, “You guys call me glam but I was the least glam,” I was on their with my bonnet!’
Kaz admitted the reaction has been ‘humbling’ as she goes on to launch a textured hairline (Picture: Easilocks)
‘I think it’s important to be able to embrace different textures,’ she shared (Picture: Easilocks)
‘I was just doing what I would do at home,’ she told us, adding that she ‘wouldn’t do it any differently.’
‘I think it’s important to be able to embrace different textures,’ she shared.
Elsewhere, Kaz praised the diversity of this year’s series, which saw Ekin-Su Culculoglu and Davide Sanclimenti crowned winners.
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‘They smashed it, I think production did an amazing job from the diversity side of things,’ she told us.
‘I don’t think I’ve actually watched Love Island with that many people from different places, different accents, different cultures, I was like this is important, there was so much representation, I think they smashed it.’
Kaz’s collection is now available at www.easlilocks.com, from £47.99.
Love Island is available to watch on ITV Hub.
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Kaz made it to the final of Love Island last year.