Meet all the contestants who are rumoured for Love Island 2022

There are less than two weeks to go!

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Can you believe this summer we’re going to have season EIGHT of Love Island?! Love Island 2022 is officially kicking off next month, and already there are a whole host of rumoured contestants who are said to be ready to enter the villa.

The new series starts at 9pm on Monday 6th June – it will be the longest ever series and in a whole new villa. Among the rumoured cast list is a beautician, influencers, sports players and TWO people with very famous parents.

Here are all the rumoured contestants for Love Island 2022, so far.

Missy Keating

via Instagram @missyykeating

Missy Keating, who is a model and daughter of boyband legend Ronan Keating, has been rumoured for the villa before – but now, her name is being put forward again. Right now, she is the bookies’ favourite to enter the 2022 villa after her father said “you never know” when asked about the rumours she’s going on the show.

Missy is 21 and recently appeared on Dancing With The Stars in the US, so she isn’t new to reality TV.

Jacques O’Neill


Love Island 2022 has reportedly “signed up” rugby ace, Jacques O’Neill. He’s 23, from Cumbria, and currently plays for the Castleford Tigers. Right now he is out due to a hamstring injury – which conveniently frees up his schedule for the summer. According to Rugby League Live, O’Neill has “been lined up as a potential contestant for the hit show”.

Sophie Draper

All the rumoured contestants for Love Island 2022 and who is lined up for the villa cast list

via Instagram @sophie__draper

Sophie Draper is 22 and a beautician from Nottingham. You might recognise her ex-boyfriend, as Sophie used to date Premiership footballer Matty Cash. The pair dated for four years but split last year. According to The Sun, she’s been “lined-up” for the next series of the show and Love Island chiefs think she is the “perfect fit” after meeting with her about being part of the cast.

Sophie owns her own beauty company and salon in Nottingham, and already has over 20k Instagram followers. She’s reportedly mates with Lucinda Strafford from Love Island 2021 as well as some of the TOWIE cast.

Brad McDermott

via Instagram @bradmcdermott_

Brad McDermott, who is the brother of Love Island 2018 star Zara McDermott, is also said to be lined up for this year. A source told The Sun: “Brad is a young, good looking guy, and he has seen how appearing on Love Island has completely transformed Zara’s life. Though she didn’t find long-term love, it has served as a great platform for her. She also had a great time there, and he thinks it would be a great laugh.”

Brad is an artist and has 17k followers on Instagram. He clearly gets on with Zara well, sharing a few pictures of them together, at the gym and on holiday, on his Instagram.

Kat Harrison

via Instagram @kat_harrison

Kat is from Newcastle, studying at Northumbria University and also works as a model. She previously dated Geordie Shore star, Marty McKenna.

A source told The Sun: “Kat is the mix for the next series of Love Island. She works as a model but is also a student at Northumbria uni. They think she has the full package, brains and beauty, and could bring a lot to the table. Kat really impressed and she should be a shoe-in for the show.”

Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu

All the rumoured contestants for Love Island 2022 and who is lined up for the villa cast list

via Instagram @ekinsuofficial

Actress and influencer Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu is also said to be joining the cast. Ekin-Su is from Turkey, and currently splits her time between London and Istanbul. She’s an actress, and has starred in a Turkish TV series called Kuzey Yildizi. She already has over 330k followers on Instagram and does collabs with brands such as FashionNova. She too has celeb connections, she’s followed on Instagram by TOWIE stars Pete Wicks and James Locke, as well as Wayne Lineker, and Piers Morgan’s son, Spencer.

A source close to the show told The Sun: “Ekin-Su is the perfect contestant to get viewers tuning in this summer. Not only is she beautiful, she’s also used to being on TV and moves in showbiz circles so she’s sure to bring fireworks. She’ll have no shortage of guys after her in the villa, that’s for sure.”

Josh Legrove

via Instagram @josh_legrove

Josh Legrove is a model and boxer and has 15.9k Instagram followers. According to The Sun, he’s caught the eye of the producers with his jet set lifestyle and impressive boxing career. They think he could be the “new Tommy Fury”. Yep, really.

He’s 6ft2, and has been boxing from a young age. A TV insider told The Sun: “Joshua is a perfect fit for the show. Bosses are hoping he’ll follow in the footsteps of boxer Tommy Fury, who was a huge hit. Joshua is really handsome but there is much more to him than that – the girls will go wild for him.”

Gemma Owen

via Instagram @gemowen_1

Another name being thrown about for the show is Gemma Owen, and yes, that is England footballer Michael Owen’s daughter. Gemma is 19, a horse rider for Great Britain, and has her own swimwear brand, OG Beachwear. It’s been said she could be the “huge star” of the next season, but she told the Daily Mail a few months ago: “I watch [Love Island] every summer but right now it’s not something I would consider doing because I am not looking for love at the moment.”

That doesn’t seem to have put off the producers. “Gemma isn’t just beautiful, smart and single, but she has one of the country’s best-loved sports stars as her dad,” a source told The Sun. “ITV bosses are scrambling to get her signed up for this year’s Love Island. However, if talks are successful, it’s likely to be a huge payday for Gemma too. Weeks spent lounging about in a bikini is going to give her beachwear line the sort of boost most firms can only dream about and make her a huge star herself.”

The Sun has since reported she has dad Michael’s permission to go on the show. Maybe she’s come round to the idea?

Jordan Spencer

All the rumoured contestants for Love Island 2022 and who is lined up for the villa cast list

via Instagram @spenny247

The show is also said to have lined up basketball player, Jordan Spencer. He’s 27 and also 6ft2, and according to The Sun is “in talks” with producers over joining this year. Jordan played for the London Lions basketball team and says on his Instagram he splits his time between the UK and the US.

A source told The Sun: “It’s still too early to say whether Jordan is in the final line-up but bosses are keen. He’s been in talks to appear on Love Island and even met some of the producers who are working on the all-important cast list.”

Joe Bryan

Also one of the rumoured guys is Joe Bryan, who is said to have met with producers about entering the Love Island 2022 villa. He’s a 27-year-old chartered surveyor, who recently moved to London from Birmingham.  “Joe’s met with producers and really wants to head into the villa,” a source told The Sun. Not much else is known about Joe, as his Instagram is currently set to private. How mysterious!

ITV has not yet confirmed any cast members. For all the latest Love Island news and gossip, and rumours about the 2022 series – follow The Holy Church of Love Island on Facebook. 

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