Mica Harris is entering the Love Island villa with prior experience of fame, thanks to her family connections. The 21-year-old is the niece of Barbados' Prime Minister Mia Mottley, which has given her access to showbiz royalty, including Rihanna and Simon Cowell.
Meeting Rihanna
Mica met the Umbrella singer through Rihanna's close friendship with Prime Minister Mottley. She recounted: "She was staying two houses down from my grandparents and my aunt was taking me to see them. But then we turned up outside this house I didn't recognise and Auntie Mia said, 'Surprise, you're meeting Rihanna!'"
Although Mica was upset about not looking her best, Rihanna made her feel at ease. "She's the loveliest person. She really is the people's princess and it's lovely when she comes to Barbados because she goes full Bajan." When asked if Rihanna would be watching and rooting for her, Mica said: "I hope so! I would die!"
Encounter with Simon Cowell
The new Love Islander also met Simon Cowell, though not through her famous family. She met the media mogul years ago while he was on holiday in Barbados. When asked if he would recognise her on Love Island now, she laughed and said no.
Advice from Family and Fame
Mica's family's fame in Barbados has partially prepared her for the spotlight. "Only to a certain degree," she said. "There is always talk about my family in the papers, but not about me." Her family advised her to just be herself, and she added that she wasn't "taking the bulls**t" she used to.
When asked what she learned from Rihanna or her aunt, Mica said: "Staying true to yourself and your morals. Backing yourself and knowing your worth." She continued: "It's my Mum who has taught me not to settle." Her plan for dealing with a man who is messing her around is to: "Have a word with him. If it gets to point where I can't cope anymore, then I'll move on."
Competition with Other Girls
As for competition, Mica said: "I'm going to try to be as respectful as possible. If I'm going after someone's man, I'm going to do it in a respectful way but I'm still ultimately trying to get what I want. It's super important that I get along with the girls there." She added: "If I have my eyes set on someone, obviously I'm going to pursue them. But if they're not reciprocating that then I'm going to take a step back, have a think, and change directions and think about who else I could explore with."
Love Island returns Monday 1st June at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
