Love Island 2022: Fans joke about Gemma Owen’s hints about her father

Viewers have poked fun at ‘Gen Z’ Love Island contestants for apparently not knowing who Michael Owen is after his daughter, Gemma, repeatedly ‘dropped hints’ about her link to the England star.       

Fans suggested the 19-year-old was hoping for some attention from her fellow islanders for her famous father, but they failed to recognise her connection to the footballer, who retired in 2013. 

Twitter users pointed out most Love Island contestants are in their early twenties, meaning their early teens coincided with the tail-end of Owen’s career when he was regularly kept on the bench. 

Owen became England’s youngest ever goalscorer aged 18 in the 1998 World Cup and played at Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle, Manchester United and, finally, Stoke City. He is now a pundit and last appeared on Saturday during Channel 4‘s coverage of the England v Hungary game. 

During a discussion about names, Gemma mentioned her surname multiple times but none of her fellow Islanders noticed the connection

Michael Owen working as a pundit for Channel 4 during the England v Hungary game on Saturday 

Some Twitter users were confused as to why Love Island stars failed to cotton on to Gemma’s famous connection, with one writing, ‘How can they not know who Michael Owen is?’ 

But others pointed out their age, with four of the contestants 23, one 22 and two 24.  

Daniel James wrote: ‘Gemma desperate to tell people her dad is Michael Owen. Darling, those people in there are too young to even know who Michael Owen is #LoveIsland2022

Another Twitter user added: ‘Aren’t these lot too young to know who Michael owen is anyway? He was def a star for millennials not so much gen z.’  

During a discussion about names, Gemma mentioned her surname multiple times but none of her fellow Islanders noticed the connection.

Viewers were convinced Gemma was desperate to reveal her father’s identity with her name drop, while earlier in the episode she also offered hints about her link to football.

During her first chat with masters student Liam Lewellyn after they were matched by the public vote, international dressage rider Gemma discussed his career aspirations. 

‘So what do you want to do?’ Gemma asked.  

During her first chat with masters student Liam Lewellyn after they were matched by the public vote, Gemma repeatedly asked repeated questions about his football career 

Liam replied: ‘Going into sport performance, working with football teams, making sure they’re training the right way. Football’s my sport, I don’t play anymore but I used to.’

‘Did you play at a decent level?’

‘Nah not really, I stopped playing young.’

‘Why?’

‘I feel like you’ve been with an ex-footballer or something?’

‘No.’

Memes: Fans joked that the 19-year-old beauty was hoping for some attention from her fellow islanders for her famous family, but they failed to recognise the Owen correlation

‘You’ve been with a footballer?’

‘No.’

‘Why did you ask me if I played at a decent level then?

‘I’m interested.’ 

Gemma also didn’t waste any time hinting at her famous father in her video intro. 

Although she didn’t use his name she said competitiveness ‘is in my blood’ before telling the camera her father ‘has an opinion’ on the men she dates.

The dressage champion said she’s hoping to score in the villa, that would be the goal’ cheekily adding of her puns: ‘See what I did there’.

Viewers shared a slew of memes on Twitter joking about Gemma’s apparent keenness for fellow contestants to pick up on her name – only for them to fail to pick up the hints. 

Owen became England’s youngest ever goalscorer aged 18 in 1998 and played at Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle, Manchester United and, finally, Stoke City

Michael is said to be against his daughter Gemma appearing on Love Island