Gemma Owen on Love Island: What age is Michael Owen’s daughter & how have viewers reacted to her so far?

Gemma Owen has been in the love show’s Spanish villa since the eighth series started on 6 June, but how has the daughter of former Liverpool FC player Michael Owen fared so far?
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Gemma Owen seems to be making herself comfortable in the Love Island villa, coming across as one of the standout contestants.

The daughter of ex-Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United footballer Michael Owen, Gemma was always going to be one of the more talked about names.

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But how has she fared so far? Are fans of the show reacting well to her behaviour in the first few episodes of this current season? Here is everything you need to know.

Who is Gemma Owen and how old is she?

Gemma Owen is on Instagram as @gemowendressage_ where she has more than 9,000 followers. The daughter of Michael Owen, Gemma is a successful dressage rider who has represented Great Britain.Gemma Owen is on Instagram as @gemowendressage_ where she has more than 9,000 followers. The daughter of Michael Owen, Gemma is a successful dressage rider who has represented Great Britain.
Gemma Owen is on Instagram as @gemowendressage_ where she has more than 9,000 followers. The daughter of Michael Owen, Gemma is a successful dressage rider who has represented Great Britain.

Gemma Owen is a 19-year-old woman that is originally from the Chester area.

She is most commonly known for being the daughter of ex-Liverpool FC player Michael Owen, who had an illustrious playing career.

Ms Owen is in the lineup of the eighth series of the highly-popular reality television show Love Island.

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In the 19-year-old’s introduction video that was broadcasted live on television, Gemma describes herself as having a competitive nature, as well as focused and determined ‘to get anything she wants’.

What does she do for a living?

Gemma Owen has made a name for herself in the horseriding world, competing in dressage at a local and international level.

She has previously competed for Great Britain - most recently in 2021 during the European Junior Championships which took place in Oliva, Spain.

The name of her horse - which she owns - is Sirius Black, paying homage to the fan-favourite character from the Harry Potter universe.

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Ms Owen, along with Sirius Black, reportedly have a personal best of 73.53%, which was recorded at the Prix St Georges in January 2022.

Gemma also owns her own business.

Is she actually looking for love in the villa?

Love Island is back on our screens (Image Credit: ITV)Love Island is back on our screens (Image Credit: ITV)
Love Island is back on our screens (Image Credit: ITV)

A major quam when it comes to contestants entering the Love Island villa in Spain is whether they are going in to actually find a life partner.

There always seems to be a select minority that enter for personal gain, such as furthering their reputation and gaining the big-money sponsorship deals by the time they return home.

But is Gemma Owen in the show for ‘the right reasons’?

“[When it comes to relationships] I always get what I want,” she said during the intro video.

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“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.”

It is evident that one of her main prerogatives at least is to find a lover in this season’s Love Island season.

How has she been received by Love Island viewers so far?

Gemma Owen is the daughter of ex-England footballer MichaelGemma Owen is the daughter of ex-England footballer Michael
Gemma Owen is the daughter of ex-England footballer Michael

Gemma Owen has become a central figure of the opening two seasons of the eighth season of Love Island.

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Certain situations have created a storm of reaction on social media avenues such as Twitter, with many viewers not taking a kindness to her, creating and posting hilarious memes.

Many centre around her attitude, with accounts such as @Lucyaliceee1 commenting: “Gemma is acting exactly like you’d expect of the 19 year old daughter of a celeb, it is not a vibe”

Whilst a number of Love Island fans have voiced their discomfort with her being 19-years-old on a show full of men as old as 27.

@DrProudman posted on Twitter: “Gemma Owen is 19 years old. She was born in 2003 & was 16 years old during the pandemic. She is now on a tv show that’s encouraging her to date 29 year old men. Women have become sex objects on #LoveIsland2022.”

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This alerts to the recent ongoings at the end of Tuesday, 7 June’s episode, when 27-year-old Italian stallion Davide picked Gemma to couple up with right at the climax.

Some viewers have taken issue with the age gap between both individuals, whilst some have defended Ms Owen, with comments such as “She is still an adult?!” and “She chose to be on the show”.

It is clear that she has become an important part of at least the very beginning of the current series of Love Island, but seems to have a very mixed leaning towards negative relationship with the show’s viewers.