Shakira Khan on the We Need To Talk podcast, talks about racism, the divide and Harry Cooksley

In her first ever podcast interview on Paul C Brunson’s ‘We Need to Talk’, Love Islands’s Shakira Khan has opened up on a number of subjects, including beauty standards growing up, racism, the ‘Love Island Divide’ and her relationship with Harry Cooksley.

Paul C Brunson starts off the conversation by saying that he is particularly excited about interviewing Shakira Khan because she hasn’t done a podcast until now and asks her, “why are you ready to tell your story now?”

Shakira responds by saying that “I don’t know. After Love Island, it is a very unique experience and we all have lived our experience, “ and also says “this is an opportunity for people to actually get to know me.”

They begin by talking about where Shakira is from Burnley and how northerners are lovely, Shakira reveals that “it is a culture shock down here.” She reveals that in London “everyone is like 100 miles an hour and in their own world. If you were in Burnley and you were walking down the street, you would probably be stopped four times.”

Shakira talks about growing up in Burnley and being mixed race. “Going through high school, you just don’t know where you belong. That was tough, that was hard,” and revealed that “you don’t feel you fully belong on either side.”

Shakira continues by saying “When I would go to dance classes as a child, ballet classes, cheerleading, the girls there treated me differently. I quit cheerleading because of that. They wouldn’t play with me, they didn’t want to sit with me in a circle.”

“I didn’t understand why, I didn’t get it because I was so popular at primary school. I had so many friends, I wore my hair in a plait, everyone wants to wear their hair in a plait.

“Then I go to this class and nobody wants to sit next to me.” Shakira then explains they had to hold hands in a circle and recalls how a “girl wouldn’t hold my hand and I was like, what’s her problem? I didn’t feel like I was any different, we were all in our cheerleading outfits, I didn’t feel any different until after that.”

Paul C Brunson then asks Shakira how religion impacts what they are talking about and Shakira replies by saying “Massively" and then says “I am an atheist.” She then explains that “Faith has never been a big thing in my household like my parents never sent us to mosque or church,” and also says her parents have it where there “is a bigger divide.”

Shakira also discussed how the beauty standard growing up was “blonde and blue-eyes, fake tan and I was right at the bottom.” She explained how she was “the most fancied girl at primary school" to “eww, you got with Shakira, as like an insult. Going from there to there was mind boggling for my confidence. I hated myself, I hated how I looked, my heritage and my mum and dad were like “what are you on about?”

Shakira also talks about how her last relationship (someone she went to school with) was a healthy relationship and said: “He was really, really popular, our paths never crossed, until one time he stuck up for me which I will always remember.” When they were older, Shakira explains that “we just bumped into each other,” and reveals that “we dated for ages for about 20 dates before he asked me to be my girlfriend.”

Paul C Brunson and Shakira then move on to Love Island and why she decided to go on it. “I loved the way it opened up so many opportunities for them, Molly-Mae was doing YouTube, I loved that, YouTube was huge.” Shakira says that “I wasn’t inclined to do academics any more.”

Shakira then explains she “had no expectations” when it came to finding love on Love Island, and said: “it would just be a bonus.” When it comes to Meg on Love Island, Shakira says that “you could say Meg was my villa enemy at times, we didn’t see eye to eye.” Shakira then moves on to Harry, “my love island fella,” and then adds: “he is my fella.”

Shakira discusses Helena and how the colour of her eyes are blue and Paul C. Brunson says: “isn’t that fascinating considering your story of high school,’ that Helena becomes the competition.” Shakira adds that “Meg also” and reveals that Meg’s eyes like Helena’s are also blue,” which I always thought is still the beauty standard in my head.

“I was crying to my chaperone the day before, nobody is going to step forward for me. I am not going to be anyone’s type, they are going to fancy these blue eyed blondes. You see it on Love Island, women of colour are not the most desired people there. You see it every year, the token black girl.”

Paul C Brunson asks her further into the interview, “If Harry had not been in the villa, would you have stayed with Conor?” In response, Shakira said: “yes.” When Paul asks Shakira what her initial impression of Harry was, Shakira says that “I thought he looked a bit like a tosser,” which Paul bursts into laughter at.

Shakira admits she made an assumption when it came to Harry and thought that he would have no interest in her. “When he said aesthetically, you are exactly what I would go for, I did not think I would be your type at all,” and admits that she didn’t believe it at first. “I didn’t believe it until he told me what his ex was like and she is half pakistani.”

Paul and Shakira then talk about the ‘divide in the villa’ and said that she believes the divide was created by “anyone who was a threat to the other group was orchestrated and bandied together.” She explained that “me, Toni and Yas call ourselves the outcasts, you could collectively add Billykiss to that, Malisha, Andrada, you know. There’s a pattern here that nobody wants to talk about, women of colour.”

Paul and Shakira then discuss the moment when Shakira’s mum enters the villa and refuses to give him a hug. “That wasn’t shocking to me,” she explains. “I knew what the reaction was going to be, that’s my mother all over, she is a strong woman and she won’t shy away from things. If she’s displeased, she is going to be displeased. That was a statement for her.”

When it comes to whether Shakira’s mum has moved her position on Harry, Shakira explains that it is a “clean slate now.” Paul C Brunson then discusses how Shakira has really won since leaving the show and Shakira says that “I never expected to go on that show and fall in love with someone, never in a million years.

“I would say that they (Yas and Toni) were a bigger part of my experience than Harry was. My experience in the villa was Toni and Yasmin every day, every moment, every evening, they were my shoulder to cry on, I know more about them than I do about Harry.”

Paul C Brunson asks Shakira if she is in love with Harry and she says “yes, I really am,” and says “I think so,” when asked if she thinks Harry is in love with her.