Love Island has reportedly signed boxer Nigel Benn’s son Harley for the 2021 series.
Harley, 24, who has also followed in his father Nigel’s boxing footsteps, is said to have had ‘video meetings’ with the ‘excited’ casting team.
It comes after it was recently claimed that the 2021 series will return to Majorca this year, with bosses even arranging for extra cast to fly out in May and quarantine.
Reports: Love Island has reportedly signed boxer Nigel Benn’s son Harley for the 2021 series (pictured in August)
A source told The Sun: ‘Harley’s already got a huge following and gets loads of attention from the girls.
‘He’s had video meetings with the casting team and everyone is very excited at the prospect of having him on the show.’
However, a Love Island representative told MailOnline: ‘No decisions have been made on the line up for this year’s Love Island.’
MailOnline has contacted Harley’s representative for comment.
‘Excited’: Harley, 24, who has also followed in his father Nigel’s boxing footsteps, is said to have had ‘video meetings’ with the ‘excited’ casting team (pictured with father Nigel, centre, and half-brother Conor, left, in 2019)
Following: A source told The Sun : ‘Harley’s already got a huge following and gets loads of attention from the girls.’ (pictured in 2019)
Harley has previously admitted he has an ‘inconsistent relationship’ with father Nigel after he left his mother Lisa Andrews before he was born and took a paternity test at the outset.
The boxer was born to Lisa four days before Nigel’s wife Caroline had twins Conor and India in September 1996.
Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2016, Harley said: ‘My dad and I have had an inconsistent relationship.
‘There have been times in the past when I needed a dad, but I’m a grown man now. I had my mum and she has always been there for me.’
Claims: They added: ‘He’s had video meetings with the casting team and everyone is very excited at the prospect of having him on the show.’ (pictured in December)
Harley grew up with Lisa in Hornchurch, while Nigel moved to Beckenham and started a family with Carolyne, who would become his second wife. Harley doesn’t recall seeing his father until he was five.
‘I used to go visit him in Beckenham,’ Harley said. ‘They then moved to Majorca and we didn’t see each other for years. He didn’t make much effort at all and after a while that got me thinking, “Why should I make an effort if he won’t?”‘
However, Harley and Nigel appear to have worked on their relationship since as he regularly appears on the sporting star’s Instagram.
Earlier this week, Harley celebrated his half-brother Conor’s boxing success after he destroyed Samuel Vargas inside the opening two minutes of their Welterweight bout at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday night.
Candid: Harley has previously admitted he has an ‘inconsistent relationship’ with father Nigel after he left his mother Lisa Andrews (pictured together in January) before he was born and took a paternity test at the outset
Sweet: However, Harley and Nigel appear to have worked on their relationship since as he regularly appears on the sporting star’s Instagram
Lovely: Nigel proudly boasted about his two sons Harley and Conor in a post in 2019
The unbeaten 24-year-old unleashed an array of powerful shots that left Vargas reeling, prompting the referee to bring about an early end to the contest.
Taking to Instagram, Harley posted a throwback picture of himself with Conor and father Nigel in the gym.
He penned: ‘What a performance last night con @conorbennofficial … it’s in the blood. WORLD LEVEL.’
While Nigel posted the same picture to his Instagram account in 2019, which he captioned: ‘Proud Dad.’
Love Island will return to Majorca this year, with bosses even arranging for extra cast to fly out in May and quarantine like the main set of singletons as a Covid precaution, reports The Sun.
Exciting: Love Island will return to Majorca this year, with bosses even arranging for extra cast to fly out in May and quarantine like the main set of singletons as a Covid precaution, reports The Sun (host Laura Whitmore pictured in 2020)
Although usually filmed in a villa near Sant Llorenç des Cardassar on the Spanish isle, UK locations including Jersey, Cornwall and Devon had been tipped for 2021.
A source told the publication: ‘All precautions have been taken to make sure it goes smoothly. Besides the extra cast, they’ve incorporated Covid safety measures and increased checks on contestants’ mental health.
‘Everyone is very excited. Restrictions are easing, the Euros football is on and Love Island is back in Majorca. What more could you want?’
The launch date of Love Island 2021 has been delayed by three weeks due to overseas travel restrictions as ITV confirm they plan to base the show in Majorca.
The 2019 season started on June 3 but this year the crew will not fly out to the Spanish Island until the end of the month – with ITV intending to air the popular dating show for a duration of eight weeks.
The summer series of Love Island 2020 was cancelled after production found it ‘logistically impossible’ to organise the show as the pandemic raged on.
Applicants for the next series have reportedly been told they’ll have to be free for 10 weeks abroad and undergo a psychological and physical assessment.
A sexual health screening and an unannounced drugs test is also set to be required and the cast will have to declare if they live with anyone who’s clinically vulnerable, according to the publication.
Bosses will also ask contestants for their mental health histories and for permission to contact their GPs and in another move to help support them on the show.
Delayed: The launch date of Love Island 2021 has been delayed by three weeks due to overseas travel restrictions as ITV confirm they plan to base the show in Majorca (Love Island winter 2020 winners Paige Turley and Finn Tapp pictured with host Laura)