Will this change underdog Greg’s legal career aspirations?
A University of Limerick law graduate has been crowned the winner of Love Island 2019 in a surprising end to the sun-soaked dating show.
Greg O’Shea, 24, and beauty therapist and model Amber Gill, 21, were voted the winners of the fifth series during last night’s dramatic live final. In an unexpected turn of events the couple beat bookie favourites Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague to take home the coveted crown and £50,000 cash prize.
Presenter Caroline Flack announced the win which O’Shea, who had only been in the Spanish villa for two weeks, described as “crazy”. Their relationship was then put to the test in a twist which occurs every series: were they looking for love or money? O’Shea was given the option to keep the prize money in full for himself but decided to share it with partner Gill.
It’s fair to say things haven’t always been hunky-dory for the genetically-blessed duo. Original Islander Gill had a rocky start to the popular ITV2 reality show: having first coupled up with firefighter and former flame Michael Griffiths whose head was later turned by bombshell Joanna Chimonides. Chimonides was dumped from the Majorcan island leaving Griffiths to pursue Gill once more. Then O’Shea entered the villa. The trio entered a love triangle for a while before Gill chose to partner with O’Shea during a tense recoupling. Griffiths was later booted from the show leaving Gill to crack on with O’Shea.
Speaking ahead of their win, Gill said:
“I’ve had quite a journey in the villa this summer. There have been so many highs but I’ve still had some quite low lows. [O’Shea] came in in the 11th hour; just when I thought there was nothing left for me in the villa, everything changed. He picked me up when I was at my most vulnerable, and helped me rediscover my smile.”
She added: “It’s been absolutely wild… a rollercoaster of emotion.”
He may have entered the villa late but O’Shea, a pro rugby player who represents Ireland’s national rugby sevens team, has been well-received by fans. He has been praised for his gentlemanly behaviour: not flaunting his blossoming relationship with Gill in front of Griffiths, for example, and writing and reading out a poem to Gill during the Love Island Ball. O’Shea’s mother even gifted Gill a shamrock necklace (‘the luck of the Irish was with them!’) in scenes aired on Sunday night.
At the show’s after-party O’Shea said: “I never thought this was going to happen at any stage… obviously the public saw us kicking off and it just went from there.”
O’Shea, who is originally from Limerick, Ireland but resides in Dublin, said his next steps will include visiting Gill’s hometown in Newcastle. He has mentioned on the show he is studying for his “solicitor exams” having graduated from Limerick Uni in 2017. Whether that continues to be the case we will soon find out. Manchester-based newly qualified solicitor and fellow legally-minded Love Island contestant Rosie Williams didn’t rule out a return to the law when she left last year’s series. She is yet to make a return to the glamorous world of costs claims.
Limerick law school were rooting for O’Shea to win but yesterday’s victory was lost on former Lord Chancellor David Gauke. Gauke, who was previously a solicitor at Macfarlanes, tweeted: “‘Amber & Greg’ trending tonight. I seem to have missed out this time.”
Best of luck to our Law Plus grad Greg O’Shea on #LoveIsIand #lawisland @UL #StudyatUL
— UL School of Law (@ULSchoolofLaw) July 16, 2019
Love Island will return to screens this winter for a second series of the year featuring a new batch of young singletons looking for love in Cape Town, South Africa.
For the latest news, commercial awareness insight, careers advice and events:
Sign up to the Legal Cheek Newsletter
