There is no one in Puerto Portals with a bigger smile on his face than Johnny Carr, the proud father of Love Island contestant Tyla Carr, 23, who is grabbing so much media attention.
"I think she’s had more front pages than any of the others," he told the Bulletin on his yacht yesterday. "I guess being a model helps, but there’s much more to her than meets the eye.
"I think she’s doing amazingly well, unlike some of the others, in my opinion anyway. She’s the only one who is really being herself. She’s done nothing out of character and I think is one of the two longest-serving contestants in this current series. She’s bubbly, lively, she wears her heart on her sleeve and now in the fourth week, I think she’s grown.
"But she went into the programme with her eyes wide open and on a mission. I have to admit that she’s been unlucky in love over the years and I think, once she had seen the format for this year’s series, she was attracted to taking part. Last year I think we saw two or three proper couples emerge and are still together. One is expecting a baby and another is engaged.
"Tyla has not gone in there for airtime and to become famous. She is in there to find the true love of her life. That’s what she wants: to get married and have kids, to settle down. She’s always loved and wanted children. Growing up at school all she wanted to be was a midwife, but with so few places available at universities in the UK she couldn't get a place. So she opted for nursing as a vehicle to getting into midwifery but she didn’t like it.
"She’s a fully qualified nanny, and I hope finds what she’s looking for in the villa. She’s into her fourth week, but they only have ten days left. I think things will step up a gear over the coming week and we might see some action.
"It was strange. I thought I may have been uncomfortable watching her kissing or the sex scenes on the TV, but so far what really touched me and had me welling up was the other night when she broke down in tears when Jonny was kicked out. It was honourable of him taking the wrap for Tyla, but I think he was unlucky with his choices and fell on his own sword. He had to go.
"There are two possible candidates I think. One is Sam, but I see him more as a friend to Tyla. The other is Mike and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see something develop there. He could be one. On paper I reckon he is.
"But there are some solid couples in the villa, so it’s going to a tough run in to the final."
And it’s been great that the villa was located in Majorca this year.
"To be honest, when Tyla signed up, I don’t think she even knew that she was going to be living just down the road from where she has grown up. Majorca is her second home. She’s been coming here every summer since she was four years old and more recently has been working the seasons in Calvia.
"She’s got just as many friends here as in the UK, if not more, so that has given the villa a real extra edge. Everybody who knows her on the island loves her and they all know that what they are seeing is what they get in real life. So, yeah, I’m really proud. Trouble is she’s so near yet so far and at times I just want to pick up the phone or just hug my little girl: but not long to go now."
