As the latest series of Love Island: All Stars ramps up, there is set to be huge challenges in the villa.
With all housemates already tasting Island life in previous series, some are likely to face huge complications in their quest for love. That is the view of a relationship expert who claims Marcel Somerville and Gabby Allen could face turmoil due to a bitter past breakup.
The duo were an item seven years ago before the former Blazin Squad man cheated on the fitness fanatic. Despite their bitter ending, the public decided to put the pair together at the start of the latest series. Now, expert Anne-Sofie Koktved has warned the pair about the close proximity issues they are facing.
She told the Mirror: “When ex-partners are forced into close proximity, as with Marcel and Gabby, it can dredge up unresolved feelings or reignite old wounds, particularly when infidelity was involved. Moving on requires emotional processing, but the constant reminders and public scrutiny in this setting can slow or complicate that process. “
She added: “It takes maturity and emotional resilience to avoid letting past hurts cloud their chances at building new relationships. Marcel and Gabby will need to establish clear boundaries and focus on their personal growth to genuinely move forward.”
As well as boundaries, Anne-Sofie said the best way to deal with exes who are forced back into your life, like with Marcel and Gabby, is to keep interactions professional, prioritise self-care and stay future-focused.
Earlier this week, Marcel and Gabby came face-to-face in awkward scenes, with Gabby branding him a “k**b”. The pair were later seen to have seemingly buried the hatchet. Speaking privately in the episode, Marcel said: “I regret everything I did and I apologise so much. I didn’t want to hurt you. Me doing that was out of character for me and I regretted it immediately.”
Now, as the pair go in search for love once more – and share kisses with new potential matches – Anne-Sofie offered up her four focus points they should focus on in the villa. According to the expert being honest in the villa is crucial as “pretending to be someone you’re not may lead to short-term success but will falter over time”.
She added contestants must: ” Communicate clearly, stay out of unnecessary conflicts to create a healthy space for love to develop, and focus on compatibility.” She urged housemates to “look beyond surface-level attraction and seek shared values and life goals”.
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