There’s More To Love Island’s Jacques Than Being Gemma’s Ex

A Friday night cliffhanger is pretty normal for Love Island, but on June 10 it was a particularly poignant one. Not only did yet another bombshell enter the villa, but Gemma quickly realised he was her ex-boyfriend, Jacques. The drama continued to unfold on June 12, as the latest addition got to know the freshly coupled up girls – especially Ekin-Su. It’s still early days, but here’s everything you can expect from Love Island’s Jacques O’Neill.

What Is Jacques’s Job?

23-year-old Jacques hails from Cumbria, where he’s been playing professional rugby for Castleford Tigers. Described as having a “fearless attitude”, Jacques rose the ranks of the Tigers’ youth system through their Scholarship and Academy programmes before debuting in the Super League. Having released Jacques from his contract “to allow him to pursue another opportunity”, the club has first dibs on their player if he decides to return to the sport.

Jacques debuted for Castleford Tigers in 2019 and has made 29 appearances on the pitch. However, for the past ten months, he’s off-pitch been recovering from a hamstring injury, giving him ample time to think about his future. “I was saying to my mum the other day that I want a girl to settle down,” he told ITV. “I’ve done all my bits.”

What Is Jacques’s Instagram?

At the time of writing, Jacques’s Insta is sitting pretty at 49,000 followers. That’s bound to increase in the coming weeks, and his new influx of followers will be greeted by professional photos of him on and off the pitch, as well as snaps with his dog Zeus and gushing over his baby niece Sophia.

What Else Is There To Know About Jacques?

Not only is he a Love Island bombshell, but he’s also Gemma’s ex-boyfriend. They dated for eight months, and it’s been over a year since they broke up. Jacques gave a little insight into what caused the split, telling Afia on their first date that it “wasn’t amicable”.

While neither Jacques nor Gemma seem interested in getting back together, stranger things have happened in the Love Island villa. For the moment, it seems that Jacques has his eyes set on Ekin-Su, who only just coupled up with Davide. However, this could result in trouble, as Jacques tends to fall in love pretty quickly and is “not arsed at all” at stepping on someone’s toes. (His words, not mine.) “I literally know if they’re going to be my girlfriend within a week,” he told ITV. “I fall pretty quick.”

Love Island continues Monday at 9 p.m. on ITV2 and ITV Hub.