The 23-year-old social media marketer is set to enter a second villa as the ITV2 reality show airs its annual twist designed to test the strength of the existing couples.
The current crop of female Islanders will be introduced to six new boys in Casa Amor, while another set of girls will enter the main villa alongside the original lads.
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Jack said he has the full support of his famous dad to appear on the show, insisting the former Boyzone singer will be watching.
“He’s buzzing for me, me and my dad are very close, we’re best mates,” he said.
Describing himself, Jack said: “I think I’m a pretty positive, fun guy so I think some good chat and a bit of Irish charm as well.”
Jack is the second celebrity offspring to appear on Love Island this year, with former England footballer Michael Owen’s daughter Gemma entering the villa at the start of the series.
Also entering Casa Amor are Josh Samuel Le Grove, a 22-year-old model from Essex; Samuel Agbiji, a 22-year-old model from Manchester; 23-year-old roofing company director Billy Brown; Deji Adeniyi, a 25-year-old accounts manager from Bedford; and George Tasker, a 23-year-old labourer from the Cotswolds.
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The new female Islanders are set to be introduced to fans on Sunday.
Friday night’s episode of Love Island saw Charlie Radnedge and Antigoni Buxton dumped from the villa after the other contestants had to pick two out of six vulnerable Islanders to leave.
Laura Whitmore has defended her interview with eliminated Love Island contestant Remi Lambert after facing criticism on social media.
During Sunday night’s instalment of the ITV2 reality show, Remi became the latest Islander to leave the villa, and later spoke to the presenter via video-link on companion show Aftersun.
At the end of the interview, Laura told the panel: “Everything in me just wanted to cuddle him.”
Remi leaving the villa on Sunday night
ITV/Shutterstock
The following morning, one Love Island fan commented that Remi looked “broken” during the interview, accusing producers of asking him to rap “in bad faith” to “humiliate” him.
Laura then insisted: “Remi is a rapper and [was] asked in good faith in advance if he’d rap and prepare something which he did.
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“Live telly is nerve-wrecking, believe me, so maybe he was a bit nervous but he deserved to have his time.”
Remi is a rapper and asked in good faith in advance if he’d rap and prepare something which he did. Live Telly is nerve wrecking, believe me, so maybe he was a bit nervous but he deserved to have his time. Also I want to make Remi & Afia happen! ❤️ https://t.co/Rw3KWdp9b7
Prior to this year’s Love Island launch show, Laura decided to get ahead of her usual detractors with a TikTok video addressing some of the criticism she claims to have faced every year since she took over as host.
This included comments about her salary, her decision to fly between Mallorca and the UK over the course of the series, her interview technique when she speaks to the Islanders and claims she’s “never in” the villa.
Love Island aired a moment for its history books on Thursday night, as Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Jay Younger were seen crawling across a terrace to steal a kiss behind Davide Sanclimenti’s back.
Ekin-Su has been with Davide since the last recoupling but had her head turned by new bombshell Jay when he arrived in the villa earlier this week.
In scenes reminiscent of a Mission Impossible film during the most recent episode of the ITV2 reality show, Ekin-Su instructed Jay to meet her on the outdoor terrace, which they then both crawled across to avoid being seen by their fellow Islanders.
The pair then proceeded to do the same the following evening, which was also aired as part of Thursday’s show.
The ridiculous moment, which came days after Ekin-Su’s unexpected emotion at Davide not bringing her a morning coffee, lit up social media, where users joked it was “iconic”, “Bafta-worthy” and something for the Love Island hall of fame.
However, Ekin-Su later came to blows with Davide when he asked where she had been, after Gemma Owen and Luca Bish seemingly spotted her with Jay.
Things look set to get even more tense between the pair during Friday’s episode, a preview of which aired on Thursday.
It sees Davide branding Turkish soap star Ekin-Su “an actress” and “a liar” in front of other Islanders, as she tells him not to “show off”.
For the first time ever, Love Island has partnered with eBay in a bid to promote sustainable fashion. This season, islanders are wearing second-hand clothes, with a shared wardrobe situated in the new villa.
The new move highlights a tone shift for the show, considering it previously partnered with I Saw It First and alumni have gone on to be brand ambassadors for the likes of Boohoo, Pretty Little Thing and Asos.
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The collaboration comes as research from eBay highlights that UK shoppers are becoming increasingly aware of fast fashion. A fifth (20%) of Brits say they buy more second-hand fashion compared to two years ago and on average, they reckon 16% of their wardrobes are made up of pre-loved clothes.
If done right, the partnership could really be a game-changer. Love Island is big business in the world of fashion, with online fashion sales growing by more than a tenth while the reality show ran last summer.
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Though we’re all for sustainable fashion in theory, viewers have mixed opinions about the outfits this year. While some people are loving the eco-conscious clothes, others aren’t too impressed.
For me, it seems like the contestants don’t seem to have a sense of personal style compared to contestants from earlier seasons. Could this because they’re wearing clothes they don’t like?
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Here’s what the public think about the new looks.
Some people think the outfits don’t look great
I’m sorry but they shouldn’t do eBay next season, the outfits are not giving at all #Loveisland
switching to ebay/recycled clothing was a shout, the girls outfits bang #loveisland
— Soraya Bouazzaoui (@halalltakeaway) June 6, 2022
very impressed with everyone’s wardrobes to say that everything is pre-loved from @eBay. they smashed it 👏🏽 can’t even tell it’s not Boohoo lol 👏🏽 #loveisland
Though the show promotes sustainability, some have pointed out that the adverts don’t
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Also what was the point of love island announcing they’ve decided to pair up with Ebay to be sustainable, if all their ads are gonna be sponsored by Shein anyway?????
— Jessica Ní Dhaltúin (@j_nidhaltuin) June 7, 2022
love island need to figure out if they’re trying to be sustainable or not, upcycled chairs but shein advertisements???? hahahaha
Laura Whitmore has opened up about the reality of living in the Love Island villa during a new interview with Alan Carr. And as it turns out, the gaff absolutely stinks.
Yes, the Irish presenter was the latest guest on Alan’s podcast Life’s A Beach, during which she opened up about the distinct aroma of the Love Island residence.
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“It smells so bad,” she admitted. “If you think about it – that amount of people, about 40 or 50 islanders go through it the whole summer. It starts off with about 10 or 12 and then more keep going in. And they’re like 18-year-olds.”
Laura continued: “The carpet, the fake tan, the make-up, the BO – it stinks!
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“You know when they try to cover the BO with Lynx Africa? That’s what it smells like.”
The new series of Love Island launched earlier this month, with Laura at the helm for the third year running.
This included comments about her salary, her decision to fly between Mallorca and the UK over the course of the series, her interview technique when she speaks to the Islanders and claims she’s “never in” the villa.
Love Island is about to get a whole lot more complicated for Gemma Owen as her ex-boyfriend arrives in the villa.
A preview at the end of Friday night’s episode teased the entrance of a new bombshell who previously dated Gemma, with ITV now confirming his identity.
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As many had correctly speculated, he is rugby league player Jacques O’Neill.
Jacques O’Neill is set to join Love Island
Elisabeth Hoff/ITV
The 23-year-old, who hails from Cumbria, has been released from his Castleford Tigers contract to appear on the ITV2 reality show.
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He is reported to have dated Gemma, who is the daughter of football legend Michael Owen, for around a year, with their break-up coming in the last 12 months.
Get to know him a little better below:
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On if he’s a catch…
“We all think we’re a catch, don’t we? I’m loyal, I’m respectful and I’ve got good manners. I’ll look after someone close to me to the full extent I can. I would have a baby in two or three years. I think I’d be good with babies too, they’d be good looking wouldn’t they?”
On being single…
“I split up with my ex and then I was seeing someone else. I was concentrating so much on my rugby and then I had that injury. I think it needs to be the right person, at the right time.”
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On how he falls in love…
“Quick. I literally know if they’re going to be my girlfriend within a week. I fall pretty quick.”
On what gives him the ‘ick’…
“People singing Christmas songs! I was seeing this girl and it was just before Christmas and she started singing Christmas songs in the car and it went through me – it gave me the ick bad.”
Gemma is set for a surprise when her ex arrives in the villa
Elisabeth Hoff/ITV
Gemma is currently paired with Luca Bish following Friday’s recoupling, which saw the fishmonger steal her from Davide Sanclimenti.
Her dad also recently defended the 19-year-old from comments on whether she is too young to appear on the show.
In an interview with MailOnline, he said: “She has had two years more than I had to get ready for life in the public eye.
“Also, she’s a mature 19. She’s a bit like me in that regard. I was playing for Liverpool when I was 17, and having to make friends with 23, 24, 25-year-olds.
“The bottom line is, she’s an adult and I have to trust her to make sensible decisions.”
Michael Owen was left a little red-faced on Tuesday night when his fellow pundits couldn’t resist mentioning a certain reality show during their coverage of the England match.
The footballer’s 19-year-old daughter Gemma is currently appearing on Love Island, which Channel 4 football presenter Jules Breach referenced at the beginning of the show.
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She told viewers: “Joining me hoping to see another famous England victory in Munich are England and Arsenal midfielder Jordan Nobbs, former England, West Ham and Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole and the father of Love Island’s Gemma Owen, Michael Owen, here with us.”
As Michael hid his head in his hands, she continued: “A big night for the Owens last night, Michael. How are you feeling?”
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He joked: “I came all the way to Germany to try to avoid all that back at home, and you brought it up straight away. I’m feeling alright, thank you.”
Gemma Owen is currently at the centre of the action on Love Island
ITV/Shutterstock
Michael quickly added: “This has taken my mind off it, so don’t bring it back up. ”
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Tuesday night’s instalment of Love Island saw Gemma coupling up with newbie Davide, after the public previously paired her with student Liam.
We might only be two days into this year’s series of Love Island, but producers are already getting ready to shake things up.
At the end of Tuesday night’s instalment, during which Liam was left standing alone when newcomer Davide coupled up with Gemma, the show teased the first of this year’s Bombshell arrivals.
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The first of these is 25-year-old Afia Tonkmor, a lounge host at a private members club from London.
Admitting she’s fallen in love “too quickly” in the past, Afia has said Love Island “seems like a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet someone… and have an amazing summer”
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“[I want to] just have so much fun and have a bit of a summer romance as well,” she added.
Afia is one of two new arrivals in the villa
Elisabeth Hoff/ITV
Joining her in the villa will be fellow newbie Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, a 27-year-old actor from Essex.
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Ekin-Su has admitted she’s “quite picky”, insisting she’s “not just looking for looks – I’m looking for brains!”.
“I’m looking for someone with intelligence, someone who can have good chats,” she said prior to her arrival in the “Nothing like cockiness! I’m looking for a serious man and a serious relationship.”
She added: “I’m looking for that real genuine spark and they just see me as me. I think the concept of the show brings back true and raw feelings.”
The first 11 Islanders were introduced to fans in Monday night’s launch show, which was watched by an average of 2.4 million viewers, holding steady on the previous series’ viewing figures.
On Monday morning, bosses started announcing the new cast members who’ll be taking up residence in the Love Island villa from next week in the hopes of nabbing true love (or, at the very least, a Boohoo collection).
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Get to know them a little better below – and make sure to keep checking back over the course of today as more Islanders are unveiled…
Paige
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Paige Thorne
From: Swansea
Job: Paramedic
She says: “I need to break out and broaden my horizons and Love Island just brings everyone together for me. I haven’t got to go out and I haven’t got to swipe. So, hopefully they can just come to me now!
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“[I’m bringing] positive energy, lots of bubbly energy. I am a good cook and I’m quite mumsy so I’ll look after anyone that needs looking after.”
Dami
From: Dublin
Job: Senior microbiologist
He says: “This year I was kind of being more open to new things and I think actually that’s why I put myself out there to get some new experiences. Love Island is a different experience, I will be talking to different girls, it might not go well with some, might go well with others, so it’s a fun experience.
“I don’t know if I will cause trouble, I’ll try not to cause trouble but sometimes you don’t intentionally cause trouble – but it happens!”
Indyah
Indyah Polack
From: London
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Job: Hotel waitress
She says: “I have been single for some time and I feel like for my generation of people, it’s quite hard to date without being influenced by social media and stuff like that. Love Island particularly is like a closed space and I think it is a great place to get to know someone one-on-one and build a real connection.
“I feel like I’m going to bring a lot of flavour and vibrancy. I feel like I’m quite a down to earth person, so it shouldn’t be an issue to meet a lover or a friend.”
Love Island returns on Monday 6 June at 9pm on ITV2.
Molly-Mae Hague has issued her own statement on the controversy surrounding her recent comments on success and privilege, in which she apologised to the people who have been “affected negatively or misunderstood the meaning” of her remarks.
The former Love Island star made headlines last week when a clip of her appearance on Steven Barlett’s Diary of a CEO series went viral, in which she claimed “we all have the same 24 hours in the day” to achieve success.
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“I understand that obviously we all have different backgrounds, and we’re all raised in different ways, and we do have different financial situations, but I think if you want something enough you can achieve it and it just depends to what lengths you want to go to get where you wanna be in the future,” the social media influencer said.
Following accusations that her views were “tone deaf” and “Thatcherite”, Molly-Mae’s representative issued a lengthy statement insisting she was “discussing her own experience and how she can resonate with this specific quote”.
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However, the influencer has now gone further in a post on her Instagram Stories, where she has 6.3 million followers.
She wrote on Monday: “I wanted to come back online today as normal but I feel like before I do I just wanted to say this…
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“When I say or post anything online, it is never with malice or ill intent.
“I completely appreciate that things can affect different people in different ways however I just want to stress that I would never intend to hurt or upset anyone by anything that I say or do.”
“I apologise to the people that have been affected negatively or misunderstood the meaning of what I said in the podcast, the intentions of the podcast were only ever to tell my story and inspire from my own experience.”
She added: “Love to you all, always x.”
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Molly-Mae was named creative director of fashion brand PrettyLittleThing last year
David M. Benett via Getty Images
A rep for Molly-Mae previously tried to clarify her comments after much social media commentary.
They said: “Social media users have shared a short snippet from this interview with words such as ‘if you are homeless buy a house’ and ‘if you are poor be poor’.
“These are absolutely not Molly’s words, these are not Molly’s thoughts and this isn’t at all the meaning or thought behind that conversation.”
Molly Mae found fame on the 2019 series of Love Island, where she coupled up with boxer Tommy Fury.
The pair finished in second place on the ITV2 reality show, and have gone on to forge a lasting relationship, as well as becoming one of the show’s biggest success stories.
Molly Mae, who was an influencer prior to appearing on Love Island, was named creative director of fast fashion brand PrettyLittleThing in August last year, with her salary reported to stand at seven figures.
Molly-Mae shared this statement on her Instagram story
Steven Bartlett, whose podcast Molly-Mae made the comments on, also defended the star and said she faced a “double standard” as a young and successful woman, noting that his male guests did not have to “tip toe” around their successes.
“If I interview a man, he can brag about money, take full credit for his success and talk about his cars?” he asked on Twitter.
“Gender issues aside, the standard we hold Molly Mae to as a 22 year-old that’s figuring out the world is absolutely outrageous.”
