Gemma Owen, 19, is the youngest contestant on Love Island series 9
(Picture: ITV2)A reality show in the style of Love Island is reportedly in the works to ‘couple up’ people in their 40s and 50s, going by the working title ‘Your Mum, My Dad’ (seemingly overlooking ‘The Mumdateables’ or ‘Going Blind Date’).
Love Island has always been very much a young persons’ game, having never featured anyone older than 31. The youngest ever contestant was 18, and this series’ youngest is 19-year-old Gemma Owen, who some viewers pointed out was only 16 at the start of the Covid pandemic.
On the rumoured new show, people of the islanders’ generation would instead be setting up their parents with prospective partners to give them a ‘second chance at love’. It will reportedly take them away to a resort, where contestants presumably wait around until one of 50-somethings announces: “I’ve got an email!”
The term ‘reality TV’ has over the years grown further and further from what many of us would recognise from our own reality. In the real world, there are of course plenty of people looking for a partner beyond their 30s, but rarely is it represented on screen. Such a show might have quite an audience ready to watch it (as long as it’s not on too late).
Perhaps even Michael Owen could bring himself to watch this version.
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