I’m pals with Joey Essex – he will win Love Island but NOT with Samantha, says villa legend Marcel Sommerville

LOVE Island legend Marcel Sommerville said pal Joey Essex will WIN the show – but is not convinced that it will be with Samantha Kenny.

Marcel, who starred on the reality show in 2017, said it’s only a matter of time for bombshells to cause problems and try to tear them apart.

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The Blazin’ Squad star, 38, admitted that producers have thrown a major “curve ball” in with Joey’s ex Grace Jackson entering the villa.

But Marcel said it will all boil down to whether Joey is actually on the show to “play the game” or if he is “really feeling Samantha”.

Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Marcel said: “I’ve known Joey for a long time, it was funny seeing him walking in there.

“I was like ‘what is this guy doing?’, he’s literally completed reality TV, everything that you can potentially do, he’s done – so ratings to him. I personally think he might just win it.”

Season three star Marcel admitted that Joey and Samantha are a “good match” but said the Essex lad could still have his head turned.

He told us: “There’s a few good matches but there are couple who are with people but are not 100 per cent suited.

“Joey and Samantha, they’ve got like a good energy.

“Joey always has a good energy, so if there is someone that matches his energy then I feel like they will go far.

“I feel like the rest of them, its early days and they’re trying to work out whether they’re with their right people.

“But obviously there’s bombshells, there’s going to be another 14 bombshells coming onto the island, give it time and we’ll see who’s going to last.”

When asked if he thinks Joey’s head will spin in Casa Amor, Marcel said that the female bombshells will try to split Joey and Samantha up, to be part of the love triangle and storyline with reality TV King Joey.

“Because of who Joey is, a lot of girls will be angling for Joey…because he’s Joey Essex,” Marcel shared.

“Samantha is safe at the moment but when it does get to Casa Amor or the moment they do try to shake it up, because the producers are shaking it up right now – they’re like ‘how can we make this better than last year, how can we do something that no one’s expecting and they will be trying to throw in a curve ball.

“But it’s all going to come down whether or not he’s in it to play the game or whether he’s really feeling this girl.

“They’ve just done their official first date, once producers start putting you into those kind of things, they’re trying to cement you into that relationship.

“Whoever comes in, the girl or the boy they may be forever fighting with Joey and Samantha to get into that relationship because bosses have solidified that as a big relationship now.

“Fingers crossed it will last, I would like to see Joey happy. He’s 33, so maybe he is ready to settle down, maybe it’s time.”

Over the last two weeks, fans have spotted red flags with Samantha after they branded her a “fan girl” and said she was using Joey for his fame.

Samantha left Joey uncomfortable earlier in the week when she asked him about his Towie past and asked him to “name drop”.

But Marcel has defended the Liverpudlian, 27, and said people shouldn’t “pigeon hole” has a gold-digger.

He explained: “I feel like people that say she’s only with him for the fame are kind of crazy because everyone that goes on Love Island is going to be famous – she’s going to have a level of fame.

“Getting with Joey on there because he’s famous, I don’t think she’s actively go on there for that.

“He’s a name, she’s going to come off it and have a name for herself.

“You can really pigeon hole people into that when you’re on a TV show.”

MARCEL RAISES AWARNESS

Apart from sharing his thoughts on the villa gossip, Marcel has had a busy week raising awareness for diabetes, a condition he had since 2020.

More than five million people in the UK are now living with diabetes – and yet new research from Dexcom found 76% of people with diabetes feel misunderstood.  

During Diabetes Awareness Week, Dexcom ambassadors are shedding a light on the condition with I Wish You Knew.

To help improve the lives of people with type 1 and type 2 – Dexcom is releasing a new CGM device: Dexcom ONE+, now available.

Through its “Share and Follow” feature, it also allows a user to easily share their glucose numbers with up to ten people, offering everyone a little more peace of mind.  

Marcel said Dexcom has helped transform his life, saying: “It’s an absolute game-changer. When I first got diagnosed I used to have to prick my finger on put it on a sensor and then work out how much insulin I would need to take.

“But with Dexcom it’s all on your phone, you have a patch on your arm and it send a message to your phone.

“It’s made life much simpler, so helpful and it just saves a lot of time and stress throughout the day.”

Marcel explained that he nearly collapsed and went grey when he was rushed to hospital and then diagnosed with the condition.

He told us that people should look out for the ‘four T’s’ which include increase toilet visits, losing weight and getting thinner, feeling more tired and being constantly thirsty.

“I think I passed out and I woke up and there were paramedics there, they said straight away I was diabetic,” he told us.

“I just went grey and I was out cold. I got rushed to the hospital and it was like a film with flashing lights.

“The doctor told me my life was about to change and said I’d need to take insulin on a daily basis.

“I was like ‘how am I going to do this?’, I got onto Google and did all the research.

“Because there are so many charities trying to make life easier for people – the amount of knowledge out there can help you.”

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More than five million people in the UK are now living with diabetes – including Marcel[/caption]

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The star said he collapsed and went grey before being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes[/caption]