Entertainment
‘Middle-aged’ Love Island reportedly launching for ‘single mums and dads with normal bodies’-Meghna Amin-Entertainment – Metro
It’s about time!
It’s about time! (Picture: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Middle-aged singletons could be hitting the Love Island villa soon, and no, we don’t just mean for Meet The Parents.
A Love Island spin-off featuring singletons over 40 is reportedly under way, and it’s about time.
Typically, the reality dating programme features contestants between the age of 18 and their late 20s, with few stars from past series’ being over the age of 30, like Marcel Somerville in series three and Paul Knops in series four, who were both 31 when they entered the villa.
But now, Love Island bosses are reportedly sending ‘mums and dads’ into the villa, and that’s not the only diverse twist. Apparently, the spin-off will feature stars with ‘normal bodies’.
We love to see it.
A source revealed: ‘Times change and the current generation in their 40s and 50s still care about how they look, are fit and healthy, into fashion and are ready to let their hair down.
‘This show will give those who settled down young a second chance at love while they still feel in their prime,’ the insider added to The Sun.
Middle-aged singletons could be hitting the villa soon! (Picture: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
They continued: ‘Let’s face it, they know their minds, will be capable of intelligent conversation and are likely to be much more adventurous — all ingredients regular Love Island sometimes lacks.’
The programme’s working title is said to be ‘Your Mum, My Dad,’ and will hopefully be coming to screens in 2023 after filming starts later this year.
The calls for change, and especially for body diversity, come after ex-islanders have slammed a lack of diversity on the programme.
Who are the oldest and youngest Love Island contestants?
Although this year Gemma Owen is the youngest star in the villa, aged 19, she’s not actually the youngest ever to have appeared on the ITV2 show.
In the third season of Love Island, Casa Amor introduced the youngest-ever singleton, Amelia Peters at just 18 years old.
Gemma Owen is the youngest contestant this series (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)
In 2015, Bethany Rogers entered the Love Island villa at just 19 years old, and Emma Jane Woodham – who infamously made headlines for her bedroom antics with Terry Walsh in season two – was also just 19.
Meanwhile, although there have been very few contestants in their 30s, there have been a few – including Marcel Somerville, Paul Knops and Jordan Ring in series one.
Marcel ‘Blazin’ Squad’ Somerville was one of the oldest islanders in the villa (Picture: ITV/REX)
Sophie Gradon from season two was 30 years old, making her one of the oldest women to ever appear on the show.
The age of 29 seems to be a common one as the likes of Laura Anderson, Tom Walker, Anna Vakili and Marvin Brooks all appeared at that age.
Sharon Gaffka, who participated in the hit dating show last year, and has previously called out the series over what she claims is a lack of Asian representation, has spoken about how she believes she was ‘scapegoated’ to tick a diversity box.
While this year, Tasha Ghouri made headlines for breaking barriers as the programme’s first ever deaf contestant, Sharon insisted it’s not enough as the 2022 line-up is still not diverse and inclusive enough.
‘The producers could have done a little bit more in terms of body diversity,’ Sharon said. (Picture: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Speaking to The News Desk’s Tom Newton Dunn on TalkTV ahead of this series airing, Sharon shared: ‘Diversity comes in lots of different boxes.
‘It’s not just ethnicity and while I do think it’s great that you know, close to 50% of the cast will be diverse or from a different background I still think we’re not seeing any Asians in the original line-up.
Sharon Gaffka was a contestant on last year’s Love Island series (Picture: ITV)
‘And again, there is a little bit of more diversity than other previous series in terms of body size, but again, I’d still think that the producers could have done a little bit more in terms of body diversity.’
She added: ‘We stereotypically see men with six packs, women being very, very petite.
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‘There are still midsize and plus size people out there who are looking for love and would make great contestants on the show so I feel like they’re still being overlooked, in the original line-up, we are yet to see the rest of the cast.’
Metro.co.uk have contacted ITV for comment.
Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITV Hub.
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