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Michael Owen breaks silence on daughter Gemma's Love Island stint as her family meet Luca
1 August 2022, 10:24
Luca storms off after row with Gemma over Mile High challenge antics
Football star Michael Owen sent a message to his daughter Gemma on Love Island.
The iconic Love Island Meet the Parents episode returned to our screens this week.
But one man seemingly missing from the lineup was Michael Owen, who decided not to go to the villa and see his daughter Gemma.
Instead, Gemma's mum Louise dropped by along with her friend Sarah to meet her new boyfriend Luca Bish.
Michael previously revealed he wouldn’t be heading to Mallorca as he's busy with his horses.
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Speaking to Sky Sports, the 42-year-old explained: "My wife will do that duty. I'll represent the horses and she'll represent the daughter.
“I don't know what I'll get from Box To Box. But I know what I'm going to get from my daughter.
"I've fathered her for 19 years so I'm pretty sure what I'm going to get from her.
While he didn’t appear on Love Island in person, Michael sent Gemma a sweet message from home.
Louise told Gemma: "Honestly, he is really proud of you, really proud.
"They’re all loving watching you, they’re missing you like mad."
This comes after football icon Michael said it was ‘really hard’ to watch his daughter on TV.
He told Cheshire Live: "From my point of view, it was really hard at the start because she went into isolation for two weeks and there was that not knowing how she was feeling and not knowing anything about it. Obviously, you get your phone taken off you.
"So it was really difficult as a family to not see her and not knowing how she was. But since she's been in the show - and I've only watched a few episodes - she looks like she's got a smile on her face.
“She looks like she's happy so, as a father, that's all I can ask for. She's happy."
Elsewhere in the episode, Luca's dad Michael also reunited with his son, telling him: "Gemma puts you straight doesn't she."
Luca's mum Maria then added: "First night I said, 'they fancy each other', I knew it. I love the values and morals she has."
