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Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Joel Leaver

Danny Dyer 'didn't speak' to Dani before Love Island as Michael Owen shares his concern

Michael Owen recently described his daughter Gemma Owen 's decision to go on Love Island as a father's "worst nightmare."

The sportsman's paranoia echoed the horror EastEnders actor Danny Dyer felt back in 2018, when his daughter Dani revealed she'd signed up to a 'summer of love' on the ITV2 dating show.

After going on to win the show, Dani told how her dad, 44, stopped stopped speaking to each other in the run-up to her reality TV debut as he was so cross with her.

The pair have been open about the tense atmosphere that formed following her announcement that she would be taking part, with Dani having said it was "very awkward."

The former islander admitted that they "didn't talk" for a period and dad Danny has since acknowledged that he wasn't "understanding" of her decision to do the ITV show.

Danny Dyer has been open about his experience seeing daughter Dani Dyer head off for the Love Island villa (Instagram)
Michael Owen is going through a similar experience as his daughter Gemma Owen is on the show (VCG via Getty Images)

The father and daughter have spoken about the experience on their podcast Sorted with the Dyers, discussing the previous tension in an episode released last year.

Danny said that the news of his daughter's involvement with Love Island "didn't go down well with [him] at first," with the pair revealing that things became awkward.

Dani said she even thought that he "hated" her, though her dad dismissed this idea. She added: "He didn't like me. We didn't really talk. I'd walk into the room and it'd be so awkward."

Dani has said her and dad Danny didn't speak in the weeks before she went into the villa (REX/Shutterstock)

Danny admitted that they didn't talk, suggesting that he was "upset" because they had been close and yet he had been the "last f***er" to find out that she was doing the show.

The actor said he was even "angry" when she was leaving for Majorca, though watching the show was a different experience. Danny said he was "proud" of his daughter on it.

And more recently, he further commented on his feelings prior to her involvement, saying he " wasn't understanding " of Dani's decision to take part in a show like Love Island.

He said on their podcast earlier this year: "I wasn't that understanding about Love Island. I was worried about the show and the concept of it." He said it was a "huge shock".

Danny isn't the only father of an islander to have concerns though, with former footballer Michael, 42 - whose daughter Gemma, 19, is on the latest series - having expressed such.

Whilst fronting coverage of a recent football match, he was teased about the situation, before being asked how he was feeling - with him saying he wanted to take his mind off it.

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He said: "I came all the way to Germany to try and avoid all that back home, but it has been brought up straight away!" He added: "This is taking my mind off it so don’t bring it back up."

Such remarks came after Michael had spoken about his eldest child Gemma with ITV News ahead of the new series of Love Island, which started earlier this week.

He commented: "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."

He said that he will be supportive of her despite any concerns (ITV)

The sports commentator further added: "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."

The father-of-four however asserted that he would be supportive of his daughter's decision, stating his hope that he has given her a "decent enough grounding to be respectful".

Love Island continues tonight on ITV2 and ITV Hub from 9pm. You can catch up on previous episodes through BritBox and ITV Hub.

Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webcelebs@mirror.co.uk or call us direct 0207 29 33033.

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