Love Island producers are pulling out all the stops to get Michael Owen to appear in the villa during the final week’s “meet the parents” task, says one former Islander.
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.
“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.”
As the series approaches its finale, the contestants’ families enter the villa and they get to meet their relative’s new partners.
In 2018, Danny Dyer appeared via Skype to tell his daughter Dani he approved of her boyfriend. On last night’s show, Gemma’s partner, fishmonger Luca Bish, was stolen by a new rival Danica Taylor, shocking the Islanders.
Gemma has recoupled with her ex-partner, Davide Sanclimenti – but only as friends.
Her former boyfriend Jacques O’Neill joined the show a week into the series, much to Gemma’s surprise.
Former footballer Michael, pictured with Gemma, has described his daughter going on the show as “a father’s worst nightmare”.
