Love Island Australia 2022‘s fans have spoken out against Al Perkins after he was spotted on a “date” kissing 17-year-old TikTok star Hope Kelesis.
As reported in episode 243 of the So Dramatic! podcast, one spy revealed Al was “on Coogee Beach with some very tanned girl, with long back hair” (this also matches the description of his Love Island romance Jessica Losurdo as well so sounds like he’s got a type!).
“They’ve been making out all day, They were throwing sand at each other and playing too,” the source claimed.
A second witness confirmed Al was actually spending the day with Hope Kelesis.
“They were flirting in the water and getting close,” they said.
Al seemingly confirmed he knew of Hope by commenting on her recent TikTok posts.
“THIS IS SO SMOOTH,” Al wrote, adding a fire emoji and a white heart. Hope replied with a smirk emoji.
In another TikTok from late December, Al appeared to imply that they had been hanging out more than once.
He commented on the video: “This is the song you’ve been singing!”
Similarly, Al wrote a suggestive comment on Hope’s Instagram.
“I can be the cash u the rubber band [sic],” he said, referencing the song Sure Thing by Miguel. A fan actually replied in the comments to remind him that “bruh she under-age [sic]”.
Love Island Australia’s Jess, André Coutinho and Tak Chipangura are also friends with Hope’s older sister Choe Kelesis. Al and numerous other Love Island Australia alum follow both sisters on Instagram.
The controversy around Al Perkins and Hope Kelesis’ age difference
The “dating” rumours have sparked significant controversy, as Hope was born in February 2005 (making her 17 years old at the time of writing).
The legal age of (enthusiastic) consent in New South Wales is 16 years old. However, Hope is still considered a minor in Australia in many other contexts (including being under the legal drinking and voting age).
To put the age gap into another perspective, the minimum applicant age for Love Island Australia 2022 was 19 years old, when Al appeared on the show. Married at First Sight Australia 2022 had a minimum age requirement of 25 years old.
Reality TV fans have taken to social media to share their disapproval of the reported relationship, given the nine-year age gap.
Some suggested even a platonic friendship between the two seemed strange, due to the significant “power imbalance”.
So Dramatic! has reached out to Al for comment.
Want even more goss? Listen to episode 243 of the So Dramatic! podcast with Megan Pustetto below!
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