Love Island’s Jaden Ashley Opens Up About Life with Type 1 Diabetes

The word reality rarely lives up to its name on television. But in the most recent season of Love Island, viewers got a refreshing glimpse of authenticity—a contestant openly sharing her diabetes journey in real time, changing the narrative on the usual storyline.

While most cast members were solely focused on finding love amid the drama, Jaden Ashley was juggling both the drama and managing type 1 diabetes—a challenge that’s even harder to do under the spotlight of national television. The biggest elephant in the room? Her diabetes tech.

“I’m not going to lie, sometimes it doesn’t feel cute or sexy—especially when it’s falling off or you’re at the end of a device cycle,” Ashley admits. “But I don’t think of it as something on my body—it’s part of me, just like my hand is part of me.”

You’d think that kind of confidence comes with years of experience, but Ashley has had it since her diagnosis at 11. Like many, her symptoms—extreme thirst and frequent urination—went unnoticed, until a sports physical revealed a blood sugar of 384 mg/dL. Though it was scary, Ashley says learning at that age was a blessing in disguise. 

“At 11 you just don’t care what anyone thinks,” she said. “I thought it was cool to have a pump: ‘You guys want to see this?’ I told the whole world. It was hard, but it was also easy because everyone was so supportive and curious that I had fun teaching people, even though I barely knew what I was talking about.”

When dating entered the picture, Ashley recalls a moment when her confidence backfired—after a cringe-y yet hilarious incident with her first boyfriend, showing him how she checks her blood sugar at her locker.

“The finger prick wasn’t great, so I’m squeezing for more blood and it squirts—projects—all over his face,” she says. “I’ve never seen it happen since. He literally had a hundred freckles of blood on his face.”

These days, Ashley has a better handle on her diabetes management when it comes to dating, and her confidence remains a common thread in her approach. 

“When you say you have diabetes, you’re also saying you’re responsible and resilient,” she said. “If you’re wearing your pump or CGM out, you’re confident. Men like confident women. Overall, you’re telling them you’re strong and possess characteristics not everybody has.”

Outside of dating, Ashley’s daily wins and challenges with diabetes are like anyone else’s—managing lows (her go-to is juice) and figuring out routines that work for her. 

One thing that’s for sure working in Jaden Ashley’s favor? Using her platform to educate and raise awareness about T1D.

“I don’t know exactly where I’m headed, but I want to keep spreading the word about type 1 diabetes.”

Want to hear more about Jaden’s Love Island journey? Watch our Community Table episode with her to get the tea.