Explained: Why Marcel is wearing a patch on his arm during Love Island All Stars

During Love Island All Stars, you may or may not have noticed Marcel wearing a small white patch on his arm. When he’s not being (rightly so) ripped into for cheating on Gabby in the past, the small detail has been picked up by a few watching.

Marcel has posted a lot about his health on Instagram, and has spoken in interviews about it. The patch on his arm is to monitor his health, and he wears it all the time, as well as during Love Island All Stars. He’s what he said, and the condition it is for.

So, why is Marcel wearing a patch on his arm in the Love Island All Stars villa?

Marcel has opened up before about having diabetes. He is an ambassador for Dexcom, a company that develops and creates continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems for diabetes management. This is what the patch on his arm is for.

In one Instagram advert for the brand, Marcel said: “Big up to everyone on their own journey this #WorldDiabetesDay! 💪. Whether you’re smashing fitness goals, starting something new, or just handling the day-to-day with strength, Dexcom’s got your back. Diabetes has really tested me, but it’s proven I’m tougher than I ever knew!”

Marcel has spoken on a podcast about his diagnosis. After he was in the villa the first time, he went on Boots’ podcast show, Taboo Talk, hosted by Vogue Williams. He spoke about living with the condition. Marcel, who is now 39, was diagnosed aged 34.

It was during the Covid lockdown,” he explained of his diagnosis. “I started feeling really tired and really ill, and I was going to the toilet like five to six times a night.”

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He added: “I was trying to explain what was going on and [the doctor] was like, ‘this is really strange, we’re going to send you in for some blood tests’.” The day after Marcel had his blood tests, he said he began vomiting. “I just didn’t feel like myself,” he added. “My wife called up 111 and was like, ‘my husband’s vomiting, he’s passing out’.”

He told Vogue Williams he previously had “no clue” what diabetes was. He was from then told by a doctor his life was going to significantly change.

“I was reading about everything I was on the Diabetes UK website. I made contact with a lot of people to get information,” Marcel said. He explained he was “just taking it on and rather than panicking about things.” He added: “I was taking on the information and noting it all down so I knew what I needed to do going forward.”

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