heat gets the goss on Love Islander Michael from his big bro
The firefighter’s older bro on why Amber’s fanning his flames
‘It’s clear he only has eyes for Amber’
It’s hard to believe that, just last month, Michael Griffiths found himself on the subs bench in Love Island’s opener. Since then, he’s ever-so-smoothly become the villa dreamboat, charming us with his cool manner, nononsense approach to bitchiness, and serious specs appeal. But mostly, we’ve loved watching his and Amber Gill’s relationship unfold – and we’re not the only ones. Back home in Liverpool, Michael’s massive family (he’s one of six) can’t wait to meet her. Speaking exclusively to heat, his older brother Patrick tells us why he reckons Amber’s fiery nature is a perfect match for Michael…
Amber said she’d expected Michael to be a bad boy. Did that surprise you? Well, it was both amusing and bemusing to us as a family to hear that – we all know him as just a nice, genuine guy. He’s been brought up that way. But we knew that while it could be an initial perception, it’d soon be squished after a few days in the villa. Were the family worried at first by her tough exterior? I wouldn’t say it was worrying. She started off being seen as an ice queen, but it’s been great to see how he’s brought her out of her shell. She’s a big softie, really! It was obvious to us early on that they’d be well-suited, because we could see he liked her and he took his time, breaking down barriers and having chats here and there. Do you reckon he likes a bit of a challenge? Absolutely – who doesn’t? If everything in life was easy, nobody would feel challenged. I think it’s an attractive quality, to be challenged by a girl. He’s not afraid to call her out for being bitchy. Do you think she can be too immature? No, because Michael will deal with it accordingly. We’ve all been brought up to avoid conflict, but if we’re able to help and diffuse a situation, we’ll do it. I wouldn’t say it’s a dealbreaker, but it’s early days. As long as any situations that arise are successfully resolved, it’ll all be good. Do you think his head could ever be turned? No, he’s made it clear that he only has eyes for Amber, so I’m sure he’ll stay true to his word. Look at them – they’re a beautiful couple. Who’s going to come in and ruin that? Even if Beyoncé was in Casa Amor, it wouldn’t turn his head. You’re a very close-knit family – would Amber need all of your approval? Well, we’re all protective of each other, so he’d seek reassurances, but it wouldn’t be a dealbreaker because he makes his own mind up. Amber’s quite similar to us as our family are loud. We like to talk and laugh, normally all at the same time. n