Love Island fans label show ‘fix’ to keep Gemma in villa until dad Michael Owen can visit

Love Island viewers have been left convinced that ITV2 producers are keeping Gemma Owen in the villa until her footballer dad Michael Owen can appear on the show.

Love Island fans began circulating the theory amidst the latest public vote, which saw the 19-year-old saved from the bottom three girls at risk of being axed in a double dumping.

ITV2 viewers have since suggested that Gemma could be kept on the show in a bid to ensure that her football legend dad makes an appearance.

As the series approaches its finale, the contestants’ families enter the villa and they get to meet their relative’s new ­partners.

Fans have now theorised that Gemma will be kept on the ITV2 dating show until that episode, so that producers can get the famous striker onto Love Island.

Viewers have been waiting for the moment everyone finds out who Gemma's father is (ITV2)

Taking to Twitter, one fan speculated: “So anyone with a rich dad who comes on the show is never leaving…”

Another added: “You actually think Gemma won that vote? ekin-su isn’t the nepotism baby here.”

And a third wrote: “I think the reason Gemma is getting a main character edit rn is partly because if she stays till the end, the producers know they could bring her dad into the villa when they do the family visit episode. Imagine the attention that ep would get???”

"I think it’s pretty obvious that some sort of deal was struck regarding her time on the island.” (ITV2)

This comes after Love Island producers are said to be pulling out all the stops to get Michael Owen to appear in the villa during the final week’s “meet the parents” task.

Blazing Squad’s Marcel Somerville, who appeared on the ITV2 show in 2017, says producers are desperate to give Gemma Owen a positive storyline arc after some viewers took an initial dislike to her.

“What Love Island want to do is have Michael Owen walk through the doors – that’s going to be TV gold,” says Marcel, speaking at the launch of Poke House Covent Garden.

Producers are said to be pulling out all the stops to get Michael Owen to appear (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

“Their goal is to have a hero arc and I feel like it’s coming along. She’s a person they want to turn into a main character – they put her ex-boyfriend in the villa for a reason, as she’s got more dimensions to her.

“At first, she came across snotty and like she’s entitled, but now she’s coming across more normal.”

In 2018, Danny Dyer appeared via Skype to tell his daughter Dani he approved of her boyfriend.

Love Island airs every night at 9pm on ITV2 and ITV Hub.