Leah Taylor: The Manchester Businesswoman Who Turned Heads on Love Island
From dancing behind Rita Ora to running her own social media consultancy, Leah Taylor's route to reality television was already unusual before she stepped into the villa.
Quick Answer
Leah Taylor is a Manchester-based business owner and social media marketing consultant who entered Love Island UK series 10 in 2023 as a bombshell. She’s best known for her coupling with footballer Montel McKenzie and for running her own consultancy, Begin With Social. Verified financial figures for her business have not been publicly disclosed.
🎂 Born
Exact date not publicly confirmed (reported as 27 in 2023)
📍 Hometown
Manchester, England
🌍 Nationality
British
🧑💼 Profession
Business owner, social media consultant & reality TV personality
💼 Income
Social media consultancy & brand partnerships
💍 Status
Not currently confirmed publicly
👶 Children
None publicly reported
📱 Social Media
@leahjtaylorr on Instagram; follower counts vary by source
Net Worth
Not publicly disclosed
Age
Reported as 27 (2023)
Country
United Kingdom
Leah Taylor
Business Owner & Reality TV Personality
Leah Taylor arrived on Love Island UK in the summer of 2023 already running her own company. That detail set her apart from the usual bombshell introduction, and it’s stayed relevant to how she’s discussed years later — not just as a former Islander, but as someone who had a career before the cameras found her.
She’s since become a recognisable name to Love Island viewers largely through her coupling with footballer Montel McKenzie, a relationship that played out publicly across the villa, Casa Amor, and the weeks that followed their exit. This piece pulls together what’s actually been confirmed about her life, career and background, and is upfront about what hasn’t.
Early Life & Background (When & Where She’s From)
Leah Taylor is from Manchester, England, and was reported to be 27 years old when she entered the Love Island villa in June 2023. Her exact date of birth has not been made public, and no verified source confirms her precise birth year — outlets have consistently cited “27” as her age during the 2023 series without further detail.
Details about her parents, siblings or wider family background have not been publicly disclosed. This detail has not been publicly disclosed by Leah or by any verified source, so we won’t speculate on it here.
Life Before the Villa
Before her business career, Leah worked as a professional dancer. She’s said she performed at the MTV EMAs and danced for artists including Rita Ora and Camila Cabello — a background that surprised some viewers who expected a more conventional influencer origin story. She later moved away from dancing and into social media marketing, a shift that would eventually become her main occupation.
Career Timeline
Pre-2023
Works as a professional dancer, performing at the EMAs and for major recording artists including Rita Ora and Camila Cabello.
2020–2022
Reportedly in a two-year relationship with Danny Williams, a 2019 Love Island contestant who now works as a fitness instructor.
Pre-2023
Founds Begin With Social, a consultancy advising clients on growing their social media presence, building on her own experience as an influencer.
June 2023 — Breakout Moment
Enters the Love Island villa on Day 8 as a bombshell alongside Charlotte Sumner, going on national television for the first time.
June–July 2023
Couples with Tyrique Hyde, then Mitchel Taylor, before forming a connection with new arrival Montel McKenzie on Day 18.
Day 26–38, 2023
Navigates Casa Amor, during which Montel kisses bombshell Tink Reading. Leah and Montel are later voted among the villa’s least compatible couples and are dumped from the island together on Day 38.
Mid-2023
Splits from Montel roughly two weeks after leaving the villa, with both describing the decision as mutual and citing unresolved trust issues from Casa Amor.
🖋 A Human Perspective
Being dumped from the villa alongside a partner whose loyalty had just been publicly questioned isn’t an easy exit. Leah has spoken about the trust issues that followed Casa Amor in fairly measured terms, framing the split as something she and Montel arrived at together rather than a messy fallout played out for cameras. That restraint, in an environment built for drama, says something about how she’s chosen to handle a very public breakup.
Relationships: Montel McKenzie and Before
Leah’s most publicly documented relationship is with Montel McKenzie, a semi-professional footballer she met in the villa. The couple left Love Island together on Day 38 but split around two weeks later, telling fans they had “decided to just be friends,” while later interviews suggested trust concerns stemming from Montel’s Casa Amor kiss with Tink Reading played a role. Montel has denied any suggestion of cheating.
Before the show, Leah was reportedly in a two-year relationship with Danny Williams, a 2019 Love Island contestant, from around 2020. As of publication, no verified source confirms Leah’s current relationship status.
📊 Known Income Sources
Not disclosed
No verified revenue figures, income split, or total net worth for Leah Taylor have been publicly disclosed. The chart above illustrates her known categories of income only, not their relative size.
“Our time in the villa was absolutely incredible, but we’ve actually decided to just be friends.”
— Leah Taylor, speaking to The Sun
Where Is Leah Taylor Now?
Leah continues to run Begin With Social and is understood to remain active on Instagram under @leahjtaylorr, though reported follower figures vary significantly between sources and haven’t been independently confirmed at a current total. Public reports vary on the exact scale of her current social media following, and no recent verified interview confirms her present relationship status or day-to-day location beyond her Manchester base.
📊 Leah Taylor’s Series 10 Timeline vs. Montel McKenzie’s
Day 8 – Day 38
Day 16 – Day 38
Leah spent longer in the villa overall, having entered as an early bombshell, while Montel arrived eight days later. Both left on the same day, Day 38, when their couple was voted among the least compatible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Leah Taylor from Love Island?
Leah Taylor is a Manchester-based business owner and social media marketing consultant who appeared as a bombshell on series 10 of Love Island UK in 2023.
How old is Leah Taylor?
Leah was widely reported to be 27 years old when she entered the Love Island villa in June 2023. Her exact date of birth has not been publicly confirmed.
Where is Leah Taylor from?
She is from Manchester, England.
Are Leah Taylor and Montel McKenzie still together?
No. The pair split roughly two weeks after leaving the villa together in 2023, citing trust issues that emerged during Casa Amor, and have said they remain friends.
What does Leah Taylor do for a living?
She runs Begin With Social, a consultancy that advises clients on growing their social media presence, and previously worked as a professional dancer before moving into marketing.
What season of Love Island was Leah Taylor on?
She appeared on series 10 of Love Island UK, which aired in summer 2023, entering the villa on Day 8.
What is Leah Taylor’s net worth?
Verified financial data on Leah Taylor’s net worth has not been publicly disclosed. Her known income sources are her consultancy business and social media brand partnerships.
Final Thoughts
Leah Taylor’s Love Island run made her a familiar face, but her actual working life — running a consultancy, having previously danced professionally — predates the show and appears to have continued alongside it. Whether she returns to the reality TV circuit or stays focused on Begin With Social remains to be seen.
Charles Brook
Celebrity Features Writer
Charles Brook covers reality television and entertainment for Right Magazine, focusing on the people behind the villa headlines. He relies on verified interviews, official show materials, and reputable entertainment press rather than unverified claims.
Editorial disclaimer: This article is compiled from publicly available interviews and reporting by established entertainment outlets. Where details could not be verified, that has been noted explicitly rather than presented as fact. Financial figures, where absent, have not been estimated or invented.
