Love Island's Simba Kudyiwa has opened up about becoming a young carer at just 10 years old when his mother was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND). In an exclusive interview on Good Morning Britain, the reality star shared personal details about his childhood and the impact his mother's condition has had on his life.
Simba's Early Experiences as a Young Carer
Simba, who appeared on Love Island series 13, revealed that at the beginning of his mother's condition, his parents did their best to protect him and his younger brother from the severity of the situation. However, he naturally fell into the role of helping to care for her from the start.
Recalling one of his earliest memories, Simba said: "I think I was probably about 11 years old and she started to lose strength in her hands. I think she would say that probably in terms of like her upper limbs, that's where the disease started to affect her quite significantly to begin with. And she was struggling to— I think she parked up and she was struggling to put the handbrake up. And I remember she called me to the front. She was like, 'I need you to lift up the handbrake'. So I think little things like that that started to, you know, kind of make me question a little bit, like, 'Okay, what's going on with Mum right now', you know?"
How MND Shaped Simba's Character
Simba explained that his mother's illness instilled a sense of responsibility in him from a very young age. He said: "Massive responsibility, from such a young age. I feel like as well I kind of had a sense of responsibility just looking after my younger brother, you know, being an older brother. And now you've got mum to look after as well. But I feel like looking back, I'm definitely proud of myself. I feel like it's made me the man that I am now. It's given me so many skills, so many credentials."
The Love Island star also spoke about how his partner, Angelista Gunda, has responded to his situation. He said: "I feel like with Angelista, it's the empathy, you know. It's easy for people to feel sympathetic towards my situation, but It's been such a short amount of time in which we've known each other, but I can just see [that] she kind of feels how I feel, and that's, that's massive for me."
Viral 'Smiled Bares' Moment and Public Reaction
Simba's comment about his mum having "smiled bares" during the show went viral, and he has since revealed that his mother communicates only through smiling or eye-gaze due to MND. In a previous exclusive with Capital, Angelista shared that while in the villa, they spoke a lot about Simba's mum and how he cares for her.
Simba's brother has also expressed a desire for the 'smiled bares' meme to live on in honour of their mother. The family has been open about their experiences, and Simba's appearance on Good Morning Britain has brought further attention to the challenges faced by young carers.
Simba's story highlights the often unseen responsibilities that young carers take on, and his willingness to share his journey is helping to raise awareness about MND and the support needed for families affected by the disease.
