Love Island contestant Simba Kudyiwa has opened up about how, as a youngster, he struggled to fully comprehend his mother's illness, though he was acutely aware that something had changed in her behaviour.

The North London native appeared on the popular dating programme this summer, finishing in third place alongside NHS nurse Angelista Gunda. He has since spoken candidly about his mother's diagnosis with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), revealing he has been her carer since the age of 10.

The NHS describes MND as a condition that causes progressively worsening muscle weakness, which can ultimately affect a person's ability to swallow, breathe and speak. While there is currently no cure, treatment can help to manage the symptoms.

Simba, 25, has offered an insight into the early stages of his mother's battle with MND, admitting he initially failed to appreciate the "gravity of the situation".

Simba Kudyiwa [Simba Kudyiwa]
Simba didn't fully understand his mum's illness but he saw changes in her day-to-day life

Appearing on Good Morning Britain, he disclosed that his parents had done their utmost to keep the truth from their children, reports OK!.

When questioned about his understanding of MND at the time of his mother's diagnosis, he said: "Looking back no, I didn't, in terms of actually understanding the gravity of the situation."

He added: "I feel like my parents did their best in terms of wanting to protect me and my younger brother aswell, he was probably only about six years old at the time."

Despite not fully understanding their mother's condition, Simba and his younger brother "definitely picked up on a few things". He went on to describe a pivotal moment when his mother began showing signs of weakening in her hands.

Simba Kudyiwa [Simba Kudyiwa]
Simba's mum has Motor neurone disease

Simba recalled: "There's definitely a memory, I think I was probably about 11 years old. She started to lose strength in her hands, I think she would say that probably, in terms of her upper limbs, that's where the disease started to affect her quite significantly to begin with.

"She parked up and she was struggling to put the handbrake up and I remember she called me to the front [seat] and she was like 'I need you to lift up the handbrake.' So I think little things like that started to make me question a little bit, like 'Okay, what's going on with mum right now?'".

The ITV personality explained that his mother also reduced her working hours and no longer collected the children from school. He acknowledged that family life "changed" as his mother's MND symptoms deteriorated.

Simba [Simba]
He finished Love Island in third place

Despite shouldering the "massive responsibility" of becoming his mum's carer while looking after his younger sibling, Simba credits the experience with shaping his character.

He reflected: "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."

His mother has lost the ability to speak verbally, relying instead on eye gaze technology to communicate with family and friends.

She constructs sentences by moving her eyes across a keyboard linked to a mounted tablet, enabling her to maintain contact through messaging services such as WhatsApp.

Love Island Season 13 is streaming on ITVX