Virgin Island star Marianne Banda's identical twin pictured as it's revealed she's 'built the same barriers' to 'protect her virginity'
Marianne's time on the Channel 4 show has also helped her sister, Olivia
Virgin Island star Marianne Banda, 26, has an identical twin – and the ladies don’t just look alike, they’ve also both had a “tough time” when it comes to sex and relationships.
Marianne is currently among the cast of Channel 4 series Virgin Island. Episode 3 airs tonight (May 4) on Channel 4. And she has said that her time on the island has also helped her twin, Olivia, with her intimacy issues.
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Virgin Island star Marianne on tough upbringing
Marianne decided to sign up for Virgin Island after finding herself guarded when it came to men.
Growing up in South Africa, she was only one of three mixed-race pupils in her school, which had a long-lasting impact on her relationship with sex. Speaking to Metro, she explained: “I wasn’t black enough, I wasn’t white enough, I didn’t know who I was. I knew from a young age I had opportunities to sleep with people, but I had a gut feeling, this is going to negatively impact me.”
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When she met her Virgin Island co-stars, she discovered she was the only person of colour on the 2026 cast. However, despite feelings that transported her back to her childhood, Marianne stayed on the island. And, six months on, she’s said it helped her and her twin sister.
‘My twin has the same… things’
Marianne’s twin Olivia lived through the same traumas as the Virgin Island star, and according to the paper, ‘subsequently built the same barriers protecting her virginity’.
The star shared: “My twin has the same… things. She also found that me on the show has helped her. We’re very close, we talk about sex, and she knows 99% of everything about me. She was like: ‘You have to tell me everything, take all the right notes, list all the things from the workshop that will help me.’ That’s helped her with the shame aspect and wanting to embody her sexuality because she’s had a tough time too.”
Marianne’s love life after Virgin Island
It’s been six months since filming and things are looking up for Marianne. She hasn’t revealed if she’s lost her virginity. However, she is dating.
She said: “I’ve been on a couple dates, often it’s been really nice, and I’ve felt way less anxiety, and I haven’t shut down. It’s been such a great peace of mind.”
Read more: Virgin Island star Ed’s struggles with Poland Syndrome disability
