Love Island 2022: Meet the contestants ahead of series launch

Love Island 2022 is officially here – and this year’s singletons include former England striker Michael Owen’s daughter, Gemma.

The 19-year-old international dressage rider and businesswoman will enter the villa in Majorca when the popular ITV2 dating show returns next week.

She will join the new crop of contestants which include a dancer with a cochlear implant, a paramedic, a senior microbiologist and a hotel waitress.

Here’s a look at the other contestants. Will heads be turned?

Tasha Ghouri, 23

Model and dancer Ghouri, from Thirsk, North Yorkshire, is the show’s first deaf contestant.

The self-proclaimed “party animal” has a cochlear implant and said she hopes to find “the one” as she feels her dating life is a “shambles”.

She said her friends and family would say she is “inspirational” because of her hearing challenges and cochlear implant as she is “really open about it”.

Ghouri also admitted that although she is a “girls’ girl” she is willing to step on some toes “in the nicest way possible” in her quest to find a man.

Davide Sanclimenti, 27

The businessman from Rome – who now lives in Manchester – has promised to bring his “Italian charm” to the villa.

“I’m good-looking and I’ve realised, since I first arrived in Manchester, a lot of English girls actually love me,” he said.

“They love to be around me and I love to be around them.”

He too is searching for his “soulmate” and a serious relationship – someone he can “actually build something in the future, grow with them, be a family”.

“My biggest dream is to find someone I can spend the rest of my life with,” he added.

Gemma Owen, 19

Owen said she is competitive like her former professional footballer father, Michael – who played for Liverpool, Real Madrid and for England in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cups.

She said: “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.”

She has competed for Great Britain in dressage since she was aged 11.

Dami Hope, 26

The senior microbiologist from Dublin is also hoping to find love in the villa.

He said he is taking part because he wants to be “more open to new things”.

“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,” he said.

Paige Thorne, 24

The paramedic said she will bring lots of “positive energy” to the villa, and is “quite mumsy” and also “a good cook”.

She has struggled to find a partner in her hometown of Swansea in South Wales.

“I need to break out and broaden my horizons, and Love Island just brings everyone together for me,” she said.

She added: “I came out of a relationship and I was just so done with guys so was like, ‘Right, that’s it. I’m going to focus on me’. Then I was like, ‘Ok, I’m bored now, I’m lonely and I miss love and the connection and everything else’.”

Liam Llewellyn, 22

The Welshman from Newport has revealed he is quite an emotional person and will wear his “heart on his sleeve” during the series.

Studying for a masters in strength and conditioning, Llewellyn said he liked to impress those he is interested in by paying them compliments like “Your eyes are piercing, I’m lost in your eyes” or “You’ve got nice feet”.

Indiyah Polack, 23

The London-based hotel waitress said she is going to bring “a lot of flavour and vibrancy” to the show.

“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,” she said.

“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.”

Ikenna Ekwonna, 23

He has said he will bring “spontaneity and excitement” to the villa.

Ekwonna comes from Nottingham and works in pharmaceutical sales.

He has previously only been in one relationship, but now feels he is at the age to find someone to settle down with.

“I’m not really shy to speak to people and I don’t really care too much about what people think.

Andrew Le Page, 27

The estate agent who is usually in a relationship said he applied to take part in the show because he is “actually single for once”.

The Guernsey native described himself as a “good boyfriend” who once surprised an ex with a spontaneous trip to Paris.

He said: “When I’m with someone I’m very loyal, I’m a good boyfriend as when I’m with someone I’m all for them.”

Amber Beckford, 24

The nanny from London completes the line-up waiting to find love at the villa.

She said: “I don’t like guys that show off, like flashy, showy-offy guys – just have a personality and make me laugh.”

“I can definitely be opinionated so I’m not sure how that’s going to go down. As I work with kids I have patience with kids but adults, they annoy me!” she added.

This year, the contestants will enter a new villa in Majorca because the previous property, near Sant Llorenc des Cardassar in the east of the Spanish island, is reportedly unavailable.

Laura Whitmore will return as host when the series starts on 6 June at 9pm on ITV2 and ITV Hub.