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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
Entertainment
Kelly Smith & Alex Whilding

Love Island hit with 260 Ofcom complaints over Gemma's age-gap romance

Popular ITV dating show Love Island has been hit with hundreds of Ofcom complaints during its first week back on air. Viewers were left furious with the age gap as Davide who is 27 coupled up with Gemma who has recently turned 19.

Fans were left even more furious as Gemma, who is the daughter of former footballer Michael Owen, shared a passionate kiss with Italian hunk Davide. Viewers flocked to social media to share their fury at the kiss.

However, the fury didn't end there for fans as Davide admitted later in the show that he normally dates younger girls. As a result of that confession, many viewers were asking ITV to put in the rules that you must be at least 21 to go on the show, reports the Daily Star.

READ MORE: ITV Love Island fans are not sure on Ikenna and Indiyah's relationship as she has doubts

As a result of the continuing revelations on the show, 167 complaints from viewers were sent to Ofcom. The complaints were in relation to the age gap and from the episode that aired on June 7 when the pair first coupled up.

One fan on Twitter said: "Please please please have a minimum age requirement of 21. I don’t want to see a 19-year-old kissing someone who’s pushing 30."

Another fan added: "Ewwww I’m sorry but why does Davide, as a 27-year-old, want to be coupled up with a 19-year-old." Someone else added: "Keep Gemma away from Davide. She's a teenager and he is nearly 30, I am not here for it."

Yet another fan added: "19 and 27 is a mad age gap … Gemma's age means I can't see her with any of them. Just feels wrong."

On June 12, Ofcom received another 93 complaints after the episode aired on TV when the age of the contestants was once again noticed by the viewers.

Gemma is now with Luca Bish (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

In the episode on June, 12 Gemma's ex-boyfriend Jacques O'Neill entered the Love Island villa. After he arrived, it didn't take viewers long before they worked out that Gemma would have been about 17 when the pair dated.

Again, viewers flocked to social media to share their views on the pair's romance and age gap. One viewer said: "Jacques is 23, Gemma is 19. They broke up a year-and-a-half ago, so when they were 21 and 17 and they were together for eight months so they were 20 and 16."

At first, Gemma was coupled up with Welsh man Liam Llewellyn, but the pair failed to get their romance off the ground. Then Davide entered the villa and ended the relationship between Gemma and Liam with Gemma taking an instant attraction to the Italian.

On Friday, Liam decided to leave the Love Island villa after not giving the villa "100% Liam".

Love Island airs everyday at 9pm on ITV2 and the ITV Hub.

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