Gemma Owen, when she entered season 8 of Love Island 2022, had hoped for more reaction from her fellow male contestants after finding out that she belonged to the Owen family. But things didn’t go as expected or worse she ended up becoming a subject of internet memes after casts failed to recognize the Owen correlation. First off, Gemma Owen is the daughter of Michael Owen, now 42, arguably once the greatest footballer on Earth.
Though Gemma dropped her last name multiple times, none of her fellow Islanders noticed the connection. She also talked football with her match Liam Llewelyn (Fun Fact: Liam Llewelyn‘s father is also a sports star which Gemma doesn’t know yet.) and asked him if he had played at a ‘decent level’, to which he replied: “I feel like you’ve been with an ex-footballer or something”.
Gemma previously insisted she wouldn’t be ‘bragging’ about her dad’s famous career to potential suitors, even if they’re die-hard football fans. But, in the show, she seemed desperate for viewers to recognize whose daughter she was.
But, little did the contestants and many viewers know that Gemma’s father is the last player from England to win the Ballon d’Or, which he received in 2001. In the 1998 World Cup in France, he was the youngest player to feature. He played for Liverpool and was signed by Real Madrid in 2004.
He also played for Newcastle United from 2005 but struggled with injuries.
Gemma Owen On Love Island 2022
Gemma Owen had previously told DailyMail that it wasn’t something she would prefer because she wasn’t looking for love a year before. But what changed her mind now. She said, “I am open to finding love, I’m wanting to have a really fun summer. I was seeing someone and then that didn’t work out so I thought, ‘Why not?’”
Speaking of her competitive nature, Gemma explained, “I will always go for what I want. But at the same time, I’m not going to mess up something for someone who is in a proper relationship or get in the way of a couple if they have a genuine connection. I wouldn’t do anything to another girl that I wouldn’t be happy with them doing to me”.
About Gemma joining Love Island, Michael wasn’t thrilled about the idea. However, Gemma shared that he was supportive and didn’t stop her from doing anything. However, he is living every father’s ‘worst nightmare’.
He told DailyMail, “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’ve heard a lot about it”.
Michael continued, “I think old, grumpy men like me will always have an opinion on it because I don’t watch it and you just hear snippets, but she assures me it’s not as bad as I think. It’s quite a big thing and whatever she wants to do, you have to be supportive and I think I’ve given her a decent enough grounding to be respectful”.
But it wasn’t only Michael who was not thrilled about Gemma being on the show. Former islander Shaughna Phillips weighed in and said, “So I thought Gemma was quite rude about Luca’s surname, but apparently that means she fancies him?” for making fun of Luca’s last name.
Is Gemma Owen Dating Anyone Today?
Gemma Owen’s current relationship status is under wrap as of this writing.
In the first episode of the show, Luca was asked to choose a partner, and he picked Gemma, but no sparks were flying there, and viewers feel no different. But, Gemma appeared attracted to Davide Sanclimenti. He kissed the 27-year-old who is 8 years older than her.
But, viewers of the show were furious and threatened to complain to Ofcom if they got together. One viewer said: “If gemma and Davide end up together the Ofcom complaints are gunna be WILD it’s just so wrong”. Another added, “I’m sorry but how old is Davide, because if he’s over 25 and he ends up with Gemma, I’m definitely complaining with OFCOM”.
Gemma Owen Age
Born on 1 May 2003, Gemma Owen turned 19 years old in 2022.
Gemma Owen Siblings
Gemma Owen is the oldest of four children born to Michael and his childhood sweetheart Louise Bonsall who married in 1984. She has a younger brother named Michael born in 2006. After, Michael, Emily was born in 2005. The three siblings welcomed their youngest sibling Jessica in 2010.
Her father caught attention after his texts with Big Brother star Rebecca Jane were made public. He allegedly asked Rebecca to send 20 topless photos, telling her he would ‘judge them’ and requesting that she “leave nothing to the imagination”.
Michael’s auto-biography Reboot – My Life, My Time shared about the friction between him and his wife who was on the brink of divorce in 2014.
Is Gemma Owen Deaf?
No, Gemma Owen is not deaf. But, it was her fellow contestant Tasha Ghouri who is the deaf contestant in the show.
Gemma Owen Height
Gemma Owen stands tall above the height of 5 feet 6 inches (1.67 meters). Many viewers commented that she looked way older for a 19-year-old.
Gemma Owen Job
Gemma Owen has a job as a dressage rider and business owner. She has been competing in dressage since the age of 11. Opening up about her career, she added, “I’ve traveled all across Europe competing in big arenas in big competitions. I would say I’m very competitive. [When it comes to relationships] I will always go for what I want”.
Gemma had a successful international dressage career as a junior, representing the United Kingdom in the 2021 European Junior Championships in Oliva, Spain, on her own 17-year-old Stedinger gelding Sirius Black. Annabella Pidgley, Mette Dahl, and Holly Kerslake were also on the team, which finished sixth.
Gemma Owen and Sirius Black have competed at the national level up to inter I, with a personal high of 73.53 percent at Prix St. Georges (PSG) in January. After stepping up to the level this year, Gemma’s penultimate competition before entering the villa was the Myerscough Premier League in March, where she finished third in both the team and individual young rider tests.
She competed in Der Kleine Lord in international pony divisions before pairing up with “Siz” as she entered juniors.
Gemma launched her swimwear brand OG Beachwear in February 2022. More recently, she opened the media representation company OG Promotions in May 2022.
Related FAQs
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When Is Gemma Owen Birthday?
Gemma Owen celebrates her birthday on 1 May.
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Where Does Gemma Owen Live?
Gemma Owen lives in Chester, England.
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Is Gemma Owen On Instagram?
Yes, Gemma Owen is on Instagram with 24.9K followers. Find her on (@gemowendressage_) and (@gemowen_1).
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