Love Island: All Stars is gearing up for its second series on ITV2 tonight, and fans are buzzing after the reveal of the cast chock-full of fan faves ready to glam up our screens in the reality romance fest. Get ready for some familiar faces like season 8 dreamboat Luca Bish bouncing back to the villa alongside stunners India Reynolds and Elma Pazar from season 5, the dynamic Olivia Hawkins from season 9, season 10’s Catherine Agbaje and, fresh from last summer, Ronnie Vint. But it’s season 3’s charmer Marcel Somerville that’s causing the waves online. With a few more years under his belt, at 39, he stands out from the typical islander crowd. However, it’s not just his age that has got tongues wagging – he’s technically still married to Rebecca Vieira, who he shares 4-year-old son Roman with, although they’re reportedly in the process of divorcing. There may be more drama for Marcel on the show too, as he’s set to face former flame Gabby Allen as he heads in there. When quizzed about his return to the Love Island villa, Marcel expressed that life had a funny way of bringing him to the show. “I thought that I’d completed love and found my happily ever after – but the universe had a different plan,” he said. “Somehow every time my life’s at a crossroads, I’ve got the opportunity to do Love Island. So I thought, why not?”
The buzz around Marcel’s unexpected Love Island comeback is tangible, with one stunned commenter writing on X: “This man is a whole 39-years-old (thirty nine) with a whole child and while wife that he hasn’t divorced going on Love Island by the way.” The post has since made its way on to a Love Island Facebook group, as it racked up hundreds of likes and sparked quite the debate. Some fans are questioning the choice to cast him, however others defended Marcel. One supporter wrote: “Age is just a number, while another asked sarcastically: “Life stops at 39, does it?” A third chimed in: “Hardly doubt he’ll be getting married in the villa, if this is what he wants to do then good luck to him.” Yet another backed up Marcel, writing: “What’s wrong with having a child and moving on? Are you saying no one is allowed to move on and be happy if they have a child or married now?” Meanwhile, Love Island execs have reportedly defended casting Marcel, urging fans to “give the guy a break” despite his marital ties. Talking to The Sun, Love Island producer Mike Spencer confirmed that, regardless of the paperwork, Marcel is very much on the market. He said: “He had a wife! Marcel is single. He’s ready to mingle. Give the guy a break. He’s had a tough time.”
