Gemma Owen says she’s “definitely single” as she denies the rumours she’s romantically linked to Manchester rapper Bugzy Malone.
The 19-year-old international dressage rider, fashion business owner, and influencer – who is the eldest of four children to former Manchester United and England star Michael Owen – and the 32-year-old grime star from Manchester grabbed headlines yesterday after The Sun reported that they were currently “dating” each other.
Sources told The Sun that the rapper – whose real name is Aaron Davies, and hails from Crumpsall – was apparently “really into” the former Love Island contest after the pair have been said to have enjoyed “a few dates”.
Reports suggested it was “early days” between the pair, but the supposed romance was said to have had the blessing of their family and friends.
But, probably quite unsurprisingly, it turns out there’s no truth to the rumours.
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Gemma Owen and Bugzy Malone say they’ve ‘never spoken’ and deny romance rumours / Credit: Gemma Owen | Bugzy Malone
Denying links to Bugzy Malone, Gemma exclusively revealed to the Daily Mail: “I have never met or spoken to him and we don’t follow each other on social media.
“I am not dating and I am definitely single.
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“Just after Christmas, I had much needed time with my family and friends and I am working on myself. I am not going to date anytime soon and I’m not looking. On a personal level, I want to work on my happiness and investing time in people close to me, my family and friends and just being content in myself.”
Bugzy Malone also took to social to quash the claims he was romantically linked to Gemma, explaining on Instagram yesterday: “@themichaelowen your daughter looks lovely r kid, but 19 just isn’t my cup of tea or coffee.
The romance rumours between the Gemma and Bugzy came less than two months after Gemma announced that she and 23-year-old former fishmonger Luca Bish – who famously met on last summer’s series of the hit ITV2 reality show Love Island – announced they had made the decision to split up last November.
Fans will remember Gemma and Luca were not initially ‘coupled up’ when the show first started, but hit it off after the first week or so and remained together for the majority of the series, despite several ups and downs over the eight weeks.
The pair did not become an official couple until the show had ended.
After leaving the villa, Luca asked Gemma to be his girlfriend in, what can only be described as, an extravagant and lavish proposal back in August 2022, and the couple shared the news they had made it official on Instagram.
After a three-month whirlwind romance, Gemma and Luca announced they had “made the mutual decision to go separate ways”.
Featured Image – Gemma Owen & Bugzy Malone
TV & Showbiz
A first look into the highly-anticipated TV soap crossover ‘Corriedale’ has just dropped
Thomas Melia
The wait is nearly over for TV soap fans, as producers behind the highly-anticipated ‘Corriedale’ crossover have just dropped an exclusive first look.
Whether you’re team Coronation Streetor team Emmerdale, this show has all areas covered as it merges both the iconic TV soaps into an hour-long special.
Now, it feels like Christmas has come early as pictures of two very distinctive cast members smiling next to each other while filming the crossover episode have been released.
In the newly-released images we can see Vicky Myers, known for playing the assertive and dedicated DS Lisa Swain, representing the Manchester-based production Coronation Street.
Vicky Myers (DS Lisa Swain) and Danny Miller (Aaron Dingle) pictured together ahead of upcoming TV soap crossover Corriedale / Credit: ITV Press Centre (Supplied)
Stood by her side is Danny Miller known for his role as the complex and vulnerable Aaron Dingle in Leeds-based hit soap Emmerdale.
Both can be seen on-set and are pictured in front of a white trailer filming for the upcoming Corriedale special.
Although the shows are set just a one hour’s drive away from each other, separated by The Pennines, this soap special marks the first time that characters from each drama will have ever crossed paths.
Most details for this soap crossover are being kept very tight-lipped although filming kicked off in September with this latest update marking the first-ever major cast announcement for Corriedale.
ITV Executive Producer for Continuing Drama Iain Macleod said: “It’s beyond exciting that filming is under way on Corriedale.
“There is a massive buzz around both the Leeds and Manchester sites and the images coming out of the shoot are utterly spectacular. And that’s before we’ve even got to all the brilliant transpennine interactions between characters from the different shows!
“As a soap fan myself, I think my head is going to explode when the episode airs next year. It will be mind-blowing, historical and unmissable.”
Corriedale is coming to our TV screens in early 2026 and heralds the start of a new soap power hour with 30 minute episodes of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale to air every weekday.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman to step down from Strictly Come Dancing
Danny Jones
Long-serving Strictly Come Dancing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have announced that they will be stepping down from the beloved reality TV competition after more than three decades between them.
The Strictly team will, of course, ‘keep dancing’, but this still feels like the end of an era.
While Claudia Winkleman only became a joint co-anchor back in 2010 in preparation for the legendary Sir Bruce Forsyth’s eventual retirement in 2014, Tess Daly has been one of the two lead presenters since the hit smash-hit UK show first started way back in 2004.
Boasting a cumulative and incredible 31 years as the respective lead faces on one of the nation’s favourite IPs, Daly and Winkleman released a joint video on their social media pages confirming the bittersweet news.
Writing in the caption on Instagram, the pair said: “We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together, and now feels like the right time.
“We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series, and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show.
“They’re the most brilliant team, and we’ll miss them every day. We will cry when we say the last ‘keep dancing’, but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.”
Although Winkleman, 53, began as the presenter of the spin-off programme ‘It Takes Two’, it now seems hard to imagine the main show without either of them.
Confirming that they will be departing the British telly favourite at the end of the current series, which is around a month into its 23rd series.
Daly, 56, went on to share a further statement addressing the decision to quit the Strictly lineup after such a lengthy stay on BBC One.
It goes without saying that, much like when ‘Brucey’ left 11 years ago now, the show just won’t be the same without them.
For now, all we can say is thanks for all the memories, and we’d better see them back in the ballroom or popping up for special cameos in Blackpool again one day soon.
What do you make of the announcement, Strictly fans – and who do you think should replace them?
Emily Sergeant -
18th January 2023 
