Love Island star Simba Kudyiwa's brother has spoken out to say the family wants the viral 'smiled bares' meme to continue, despite fans feeling guilty after learning the phrase references their mother's neurological illness. In a TikTok video, he urged fans to keep using the meme, saying it brings awareness to Motor Neurone Disease and reminds the family of their mum.
Origin of the 'smiled bares' meme
During Love Island series 13, Simba read a love letter to Angelista Gunda as an apology for choosing Mara Pirez at the Casa Amor recoupling. In the letter, delivered as a speech at the fire pit in front of the cast, Simba mentioned that before entering the show as a bombshell, he had watched the show with his mum and brother and pointed out Angelista to them.
He said: "My mum asked me what you do for work, I said you're a nurse. She smiled bares." The phrase quickly became a popular meme among fans, but Simba later revealed a deeper meaning behind the quote in an exclusive interview. He explained that smiling is his mum's only form of communication because she has Motor Neurone Disease, a neurological illness.
Family's response to the meme
After the revelation, some fans felt guilty and stopped using the meme. However, Simba's brother has now spoken out, saying the family does not want the meme to be censored. In a TikTok video, he said: "I don't know why 'smiling bares' became censored on the internet. Simba himself said he likes seeing the statement because it reminds him of his mum."
He added that their mum uses the phrase "like every single day and she enjoyed it." He also addressed fans who complained about their mum not being mentioned on the show, saying: "You lot were complaining with how she didn't get mentioned on the show, and the context would have been useful. And the one time she's mentioned, and the one time she gets a mad space within the internet, you lot want to wipe if off her name to."
Raising awareness for Motor Neurone Disease
Simba's brother insisted: "Give her a bit of credit and just keep on using it man. Let her know that she was at least a very important part of the season." He said the more people use the meme, the more "awareness" is brought to Motor Neurone Disease.
Concluding his video, he said: "It's crazy that people were offended on behalf of us but no family or friends were offended. The only thing to be offended [by] is that the conversation was cut, because we know that would have affected voting."
In a conversation with Capital, Simba said: "I love the fact that everyone's running with this, that everyone's saying it. I want to keep seeing it, I want to keep hearing it. It's amazing."
The family's statement highlights that the meme has a positive meaning for them and that they hope it continues to be used in honour of their mother.
