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23 August 2022, 12:24
Luca Bish has now made it known he was interested in Gemma Owen since the beginning of Love Island but claimed the producers kept them from pursuing their romance early on.
Luca Bish has claimed that Love Island producers wouldn’t allow him and Gemma Owen to pursue their romantic connection at the start of the series.
The pair, who became runners-up on this summer’s series to Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Davide Sanclimenti, are said to have been interested in each other from the start, but Luca claims producers ‘held him back’ from getting to know Gemma.
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In a chat with Grazia, the fishmonger explained that they were advised to focus on the existing couples they were in, which - for the first time in Love Island history - were picked via public vote instead of the contestants themselves.
For those who don’t remember, Luca was chosen to be coupled up with Paige Thorne from day one, whereas Gemma was picked to be in a couple with Liam Llewellyn, who went on to quit the show just days after.
Luca lays it on thick with Gemma
However, a few weeks in, Luca and Gemma’s romance began to blossom.
Luca told Grazia: “I actually wanted to pull Gemma from the start but they [producers] kept holding me back so I could focus on the connections I had at the time,” referring to Paige and Tasha Ghouri.
Love Island fans have since uncovered a clip from the show which suggests Luca was ‘held back’ from having chats with the daughter of football star Michael Owen.
The clip, which has gone viral on TikTok, shows Luca, Ekin-Su, Gemma and Tasha around the fire pit, as he says to Gemma: “Do you wanna go for a stroll,” to which Gemma replies: “Us? Yeah, Ok.”
Luca then mumbles: “Yeah, we’re allowed. We got the green [light].”
Fans were quick to comment on the video, with one writing: “Luca got so much hate with people thinking he only liked her after he found out who her dad.”
“For anyone wondering Luca did an interview and said the producers were telling him not to chat to Gem right at the start, and this clip proves that!” commented another.
CapitalFM.com has reached out to ITV for comment.
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