Michael Owen breaks silence over daughter Gemma joining Love Island calling it ‘a nightmare’

MICHAEL Owen has broken his silence on daughter Gemma joining Love Island for the first time - and he’s admitted it is a “father’s worst nightmare”.

Until now, the footy legend turned pundit has kept tight-lipped on 19-year-old Gemma’s place in the ITV2 dating show’s cast.

But he has now revealed he is far from happy. 

Speaking to ITV News, Michael said: “I have no doubts that she will make us all proud. It’s probably a father’s worst nightmare, but whatever she wants to do you’ve got to be supportive. 

"It's been different without her in the house. I've got other
kids and my wife and it's been quite tough because she's had to switch her phone off and we've had no contact for a couple of weeks so that's been the hard bit.

“I’ve heard a lot about it. I think old, grumpy men like me will always have an opinion on it because I don’t watch it and you just hear snippets, but she assures me it’s not as bad as I think. So, we'll give it a watch and I hope she enjoys herself."

The England ace’s opinion might come as a surprise to international dressage rider Gemma, as ahead of moving into the villa in Majorca she said Michael had taken the news “quite well”.

She said: “I still wouldn't say that my dad is buzzing about me doing Love Island.

"He's very supportive in whatever I decide to do. He didn't have a massive tantrum or anything like that. 

“He was pretty chilled, he trusts me not to do anything to embarrass him. He took it quite well.

"He didn't say I couldn't do this or give me any dos or don'ts. He said I'm not going to tell you what to do, I trust you, you have never given us a reason not to trust you, go for it.

“But I will always have my family's thoughts and opinions in the forefront of my mind because we are all super close and they are the most important people to me."

Gemma joins cast members like deaf model Tasha Ghouri, 23, and Andrew Le Page, 27, on the dating show which begins on ITV2 on Monday at 9pm. 

Laura Whitmore, 37, returns as host.