Love Island has already captured the nation's attention and interest is growing around the 2022 contestants. One in particular is daughter of ex-footballerMichael Owen,Gemma Owen. Gemma has admitted her England legend dad 'isn't happy' about her signing up for Love Island, but he trusts her not to 'embarrass' him.
Speaking from Mallorca ahead of the series launch, the horse dressage rider told Grazia, 'I wouldn't say my dad's buzzing about me being on the show, but he's very supportive about whatever I decide to do. He didn't have a massive tantrum or anything like that. He trusts me not to do anything to embarrass him.' She explains, 'He didn't say, you can't do this - there were no dos and don'ts.
'He said, "I'm not going to tell you what to do. I trust you, you've never given a reason for us not to trust you. So, go for it."' But Gemma says she cares deeply about how her family will feel watching on the outside: 'I'll always have my family's thoughts and opinions in the front of my mind – we are all super close, so they're definitely the most important people to me.'
While Love Island can bring fame and fortune by catapulting islanders into the spotlight over night, it also opens contestants up to a lot of negativity. When quizzed about the prospect of being trolled, Gemma unfortunately has already felt the brunt of it. 'I get trolled just for being the daughter of an ex footballer,' she says. 'I've represented my country in my sport, I've set up my own business and yet, I still get nasty comments.'
She continues, 'I think [trolling] is just one of them things, it's always going to be there, you can't really get away from it. I'm lucky that I've got a thick skin and I only care about the opinions of people that are really close to me, like my family and close friends. I think as well, if you are always worried about what other people have to say, then you'll never truly be happy.'
While reality TV wasn't something she was initially open to, she explains that changes in her career as a horse dressage rider made her reconsider. 'I was still very much heavily campaigning for my dressage season, that was very much my priority. However, I had a bad start to the season and I didn't get the scores that I quite needed for the European Championships. Then a few management companies started to take interest. So I was more willing to listen to what they have to say.'
Who is Gemma Owen?
Gemma Owen is an International horse dressage rider. She told ITV, 'I've competed for Great Britain in dressage since I was 11 years old. I've travelled all across Europe competing in big arenas in big competitions.' Impressive!
Gemma also runs her own bikini business, OG Beachwear. When quizzed on whether she would bring any of her pieces into the villa, she told Grazia, ' Oh, I've got a few pieces that I'll take in. But it's still very, very early days. So, I've actually not got that big of a collection.'
How old is Gemma Owen?
Gemma is only 19 years old and is set to be the youngest contestant in the starting lineup. She was born on 1 May 2003. While many have questioned her young age, remember Molly Mae was also 19 on the show and went on to be one of the biggest stars from the hit TV show. So, watch this space...
What is Gemma Owen's nationality?
This is a much searched question. Gemma Owen is White British; her nationality is British.
Who is Gemma Owen's dad?
Gemma is about to make her debut on reality TV thanks to the Love Island villa. But, the 19-year-old is no stranger to the public eye thanks to her dad's career as a famous footballer. Gemma's dad, Michael Owen, is an ex-striker for England, Liverpool and Manchester United. She is the eldest of his four children.
When asked if she will tell her fellow islanders about her famous dad, she tells Grazia, 'It's not something I'm going to go in there bragging about.' She explains, 'I don't think I'm going to go in there saying "Oh my dad was a footballer," because I'm not really that type of person. I think if they asked me, "What do your parents do, then?" I'm not going to keep it a secret.'
Who is Gemma Owen's mum?
Gemma Owen's mum isLouise Bonsall.Louise and childhood sweetheart Michael Owen have been married for 17 years. Ahead of entering the villa Gemma revealed to Grazia about the 'very close' relationship she has with her mum. She told Grazia, 'Me and my mum especially have an amazing relationship. So, I'll definitely miss her and I'll miss not being able to talk to her for advice - I think that'll be really challenging for me.' She continued, 'Even on dates - when I go out with a new person, I'll straight away tell my mum every single detail of what we spoke about. So, it's going to be really different not having her to talk to.'
Gemma Owen and Jacques O'Neill
Gemma's ex-boyfriend Jacques O'Neill is currently also in the Love Island villa. Whilst fans thought this clever move by producers would cause drama - they are actually both amicably co-existing in the villa. The pair dated for a year and split up in the summer of 2020. Speaking to The Sun, one of Jacques' 'close friends' explained why things didn't work out. 'Jacques was really focussed on his rugby career. Even though he was in a relationship with Gemma, he didn't want to let that stop him from taking the chance to play for Leeds,' the source explained.
Thy added,'He moved two hours away from where she lives in Cheshire. Things between them went downhill pretty quickly while trying long-distance. They didn't last long after that.'
Gemma Owen and Billy Brown
Billy Brown was a Casa Amor bombshell this year before his arrival rumours were swirling in the press about his connection with Gemma Owen. From social media, it's clear that Billy and Gemma knew who each other were before the show as the pair follow each other on Instagram. Gemma addressed their connection when he first arrived. She said, 'I feel like me and Billy know each other, we have mutual friends.' However, it appears the mutual friend in question is through her one of her best friends, footballer Cameron Green.
Gemma later told the girls, 'One of my best mate boy mates on the outside is his best mate. She also called him a ‘bit of a player’, adding, 'You can tell by his personality.' However, that hasn't stopped Billy from flirting with Gemma and she isn't exactly telling him to stop (look away now Luca!)
Does Gemma Owen have Instagram?
Of course! Follow for a closer look into her glamorous life and cute horses! Since appearing on the show her Instagram following has drastically increased. She is currently the most followed islander from this series with just over 300,000 followers. Will she be the new Molly-Mae?