Finding Nemo and Stacy’s Mom: Just 19 things the same age as Love Island’s Gemma Owen

Cast your mind back to 2003 – Turkey won Eurovision, Tony Blair was the Prime Minister, and, in equally culturally important news, Love Island 2022 cast member Gemma Owen was born. Yes, at the ripe old age of 19, Gemma has just walked through the doors of the Love Island villa and is one of the youngest Islanders ever. No one can get over how young she is, and she is frankly making the rest of us feel old af.

Born in May 2003, Gemma is younger than Shrek (which came out in 2001), Walkers Sensations crisps (2002), and Legally Blonde (2001). But what did happen in 2003? From Olivia Rodrigo being born and Britney Spears’ Toxic being released, to the band McFly forming and Finding Nemo hitting our screens, it was a cultural moment.

Here’s just 19 things the same age as 19-year-old Gemma Owen on Love Island:

1. Crazy in Love by Beyonce ft Jay Z

One of the most iconic songs and music videos of the noughties, Beyonce’s Crazy in Love was released in May 2003, the first single from her Dangerously in Love album. It also features Jay Z, whom Beyonce went on to marry in 2008.

2. JoJo Siwa

JoJo Siwa was born in May 2003, making her almost the exact same age as Gemma, who turned 19 years old only a month before entering the Love Island villa.

3. Love Actually

Everyone’s favourite Christmas romcom, Love Actually was released in 2003. Maybe to win Gemma’s heart the Love Island boys will need to stand on the balcony with some creepy hand-written signs, a la the weird guy from the end of the film with Keira Knightley. Bonus points if the next bombshell comes in wearing a full octopus costume, though.

4. The Lizzie McGuire Movie

Hey now, hey now, this is what dreeeeams are made of. The Lizzie McGuire movie came out in 2003 and made us all want to move to Rome immediately. Sing to me Paol-I mean, Davide!

5. Finding Nemo

Possibly THE most iconic Pixar film of our childhoods, Finding Nemo came out in 2003 and is the same age as Gemma. Sad that she never got to see it in the cinema x

6. Where Is the Love? by Black Eyed Peas

When you Google “where is the love”, the first autocomplete suggestion is: “Where is the Love Island villa?” Will.I.Am is sobbing rn, but it’s fitting that Gemma was born in the same year that the Black Eyed Peas bop was released.

7. The Pop Party album

If you had this album, you were the BNOC of primary school and you could bet that you’d ALWAYS have weeks jammed full of going to different people’s houses after school, because everyone wanted a bit of your Pop Party album.

The CD was released in 2003 and featured songs such as Busted’s Year 3000, The Tide Is High by Atomic Kitten, and The Cheeky Girls’ Cheeky song. One year later the spinoff Pop Princesses CD was released.

8. Tracy Beaker series two

Yes, The Story of Tracy Beaker is older than Gemma Owen, with the first series debuting in 2002. The second series is the same age as her though, coming to our CBBC screens in 2003. This series introduced us to the characters of Lol and Bouncer, Dolly, Amber and Nathan.

9. School of Rock

2003 also gave us School of Rock, the film that shaped a generation. Yes, Jack Black literally commits fraud and should have been locked up for basically kidnapping a classroom full of children, but when we were younger we couldn’t have cared less because the film featured banging songs and iconic one-liners.

10. McFly

You definitely fancied every McFly member at one point, but the band that gave us iconic songs such as Five Colours In Her Hair and Star Girl formed in 2003. Brb sobbing and buying a tonne of anti-wrinkle cream.

11. Freaky Friday

The Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis classic film was released the same year Gemma was born. It’s the same age as her – imagine the scenes if the plot of Freaky Friday happened to Gemma, and her dad Michael Owen woke up in the Love Island villa.

12. McDonald’s Chicken Selects

Chicken Selects were on the US McDonald’s menu for 10 years until they were discontinued in 2013, but were brought back again in America a couple of years later. They’re on the UK menu now though, obvs, and are a classic Maccies staple.

13. One Tree Hill

The first series of One Tree Hill ran in, you guessed it, 2003. It was a staple of the noughties, everyone would spend hours watching it after school and Chad Michael Murray became the ultimate heartthrob.

14. Toxic by Britney Spears

This song could probably be applied to Love Island, but Britney Spears’ Toxic is another song that came out in the year Gemma was born. Britney’s ‘fits in the music video wouldn’t look out of place in the villa.

15. That’s So Raven

Gemma strikes me as someone who had Sky and Disney Channel as a child, but sadly she wouldn’t have seen the premiere of That’s So Raven in January 2003 as she wasn’t yet born. The show ended in 2007 though, so maybe she caught some of the episodes as a toddler x

16. The Cat in the Hat

Obviously the Dr Seuss book is way older than any Love Islander ever, but the film came out in 2003. It was lowkey a bit messed up, and was anyone else scared by it?

17. Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo famously got her drivers’ license last week, presumably around the same time Gemma finished her GCSEs. Born in February 2003, Olivia is a couple of months older than Gemma.

18. Myspace

One of the original social media sites was Myspace. Founded in August 2003, Gemma would have only hit the 16-year-old age requirement to be able to register for Myspace in 2019.

19. Stacy’s Mom by Fountains of Wayne

Another banger that you definitely downloaded on your iPod and belted out at every primary school disco, Fountains of Wayne song Stacy’s Mom was released in 2003.

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