Love Island is back with a brand new line-up and a shiny new villa and we can hardly contain our excitement.
The fake tan is applied, the drama is on simmer and we’re ready to get to know the official line-up of Islanders looking for love.
This year’s cast includes a paramedic, a fishmonger, a microbiologist and a dressage champion. However, some of the stars also have some very famous connections.
Over the years, contestants have had close ties with some famous faces, as the children or ex-partners of well-known stars. But which Islanders boast those celebrity connections?
Gemma Owen
Gemma Owen is part of the 2022 cast and is the daughter of the famous England footballer, Michael Owen.
The 19-year-old shares her father’s competitive edge as she is an international dressage rider as well as a bikini brand owner.
Her father played professional football for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle and Man United before he retired with an injury in 2013. He is worth an estimated £54 million.
The 42-year-old admitted that his daughter signing up to find love on the show is ‘probably a father’s worst nightmare’.
Yet, Michael and his wife, Louise, are still rooting for Gemma on the ITV2 show.
He told the Mirror: ‘I have no doubts that she will make us all proud. It’s probably a father’s worst nightmare, but whatever she wants to do you’ve got to be supportive.
‘I think old, grumpy men like me will always have an opinion on it because I don’t watch it and you just hear the snippets. But she assures me it’s not as bad as I think.’
Ahead of appearing on the show, Gemma revealed she is ‘very close’ to her family and ‘wouldn’t do anything’ to ‘disrespect or embarrass them.’
Mike Boateng
Former police officer Mike Boateng appeared on season six of the series in 2020, finding love with Priscilla Anyabu before the pair split last year.
But the 26-year-old has a fellow reality TV star in his family, as his brother, Samuel, appeared on BBC’s The Apprentice.
As the business whizz in the family, Samuel manages Mike’s impressive social media account as a social msedia influencer.
Dani Dyer
One of the most famous former contestants with connections is Dani Dyer, daughter of EastEnders legend Danny Dyer.
The 25-year-old followed in her father’s footsteps and first appeared on TV in Survival of the Fittest in 2018, before she went on to win Love Island with her former flame Jack Fincham in the same year.
Dani has teamed up with her famous dad on several occasions, including a cameo in EastEnders as a cab driver, as well teaming up for their podcast Sorted with the Dyers.
In one episode, Dani revealed that she didn’t speak with her father for weeks and she thought he ‘hated’ her after she agreed to go on Love Island.
The former dental nurse said: ‘You hated me’ before Danny replied: ‘I didn’t hate you, I never hated you ever.’
‘He didn’t like me. We didn’t really talk. It was very awkward. Oh my god, I’d walk into the room and it would be so awkward,’ she continued.
‘No, we didn’t talk,’ Danny added, ‘I think I was upset because we were very close and you’d spoke about it to everyone, I was the last f***er.’
Tommy Fury
Tommy Fury and his co-star Molly-Mae Hague captured viewers’ hearts on the 2019 series of Love Island. The couple went on to place as runners up and still live together in Manchester.
Tommy is the brother of the heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury and, while Molly-Mae is Creative Director of Pretty Little Thing and a social media star, has followed in his older brother’s path as a professional boxer.
Despite his impressive connection, Tommy is keen to distinguish himself in the industry, rather than be in his brother’s shadow.
‘I’m my own man and I’ve said it throughout my whole boxing career,’ Tommy said in an interview.
‘I don’t want to be labelled as his little brother, I’m my own man and I’m doing the best that I can do in life and that’s all I’m setting out to achieve.’
Paige Turley
Paige Turley famously dated award-winning singer, Lewis Capaldi before she went on the show to find love.
The 24-year-old was in a relationship with the Before You Go singer from 2014-2016 when the duo were teenagers at college and during her time on the show, she would mention her former flame, while it was rumoured that some of his hit songs, such as Someone Like You, were about her.
However, Lewis cleared the air about the rumours and admitted that Hold Me While You Wait was actually about the Islander after she brutally dumped him.
He recalled that things were as ‘smooth as a ski slope’ before: ‘She said to me, “Lewis … slight issue with me and you as a couple. I find you revolting in every way possible, and you are really a disgusting human being. And I would like to leave you, effective immediately”.’
But the couple still remain on good terms, and Lewis admitted that he would have appreciated a heads up about her appearance on the show.
‘She never told me she was going on it,’ Lewis told The Edge in New Zealand.
‘It would have been a nice heads up. But I mean, fair play, good luck to her.’
The former Britain’s Got Talent star went on to win the 2020 winter series with her beau Finley Tap.
Curtis Pritchard
In 2019, Curtis Pritchard followed his famous brother, AJ into TV as he joined the Love Island line up.
AJ Pritchard has been a professional dancer on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing since 2019 and participated in ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2020.
Prior to his time on the island of love, Curtis had already starred in Ireland’s Dancing with the stars, but was propelled into the spotlight from the ITV2 show.
After the show, the reality star began dating his co-star Maura Higgins,before their split in early 2020. Since then, Curtis has teamed up with his brother to choreograph the hit BBC Three series RuPaul’s Drag Race and co-host the podcast, AJ v Curtis.
Sophie Piper
While Sophie kept quiet about her famous connection in the villa, she is the half-sister of The Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes and while the 21-year-old has a striking resemblance to the This Morning star, nobody pointed this out on the show. Formerly a medical PA, Sophie was dumped in week four on the show and now works as an influencer.
The TV star admitted there was a ‘period’ where she wasn’t in contact with Rochelle, but now the duo are close.
She told the MailOnline: ‘It was weird growing up not knowing Rochelle but since we have spoken, we speak every day so it is nice all of us being in each other’s lives now.’
When Sophie announced she’d be joining the line-up, Rochelle commented in support: ‘Good luck baby sis. Bring us back a keeper.’
Belle Hassan
Belle Hassan is the daughter of well-known actor Tamer Hassan who appeared in Game of Throne and The Football Factory.
The 21-year-old who appeared on the fifth series of Love Island admitted: ‘He is my link to the famous world. He is a very supportive dad, he is like my best friend and is always there for me.’
Belle got together with Anton Danyluk on the show, but the couple soon parted ways.
Samira Mighty
Samira Mighty was linked to none other than Hollywood star Chris Pine before she searched for love on the show.
The former West End star met the actor at a GQ party, and revealed to Digital Spy: ‘I knew him from the Disney Channel. I thought, “My God, he was in that movie with Lindsay Lohan,” and he kind of moved to me and I thought, “He seems fun, he seems cool”.’
The couple only went on one fancy date in Soho, before they cut ties with each other.
Luke Trotman
Luke Trotman appeared on the sixth series of Love Island in 2020 and is the son of another reality star. His mother, Beverly finished sixth on Season four of the X-Factor after stunning the judges with her beautiful voice.
The semi- professional footballer said he has always supported his mum’s career and added: ‘She’s done a few musicals and she’s in the Kingdom Choir now…but she didn’t perform at Harry and Meghan’s wedding!’
Love Island begins tonight on ITV2 at 9pm.
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