Giorgio “Gio” Russo is a British television personality and sports-media figure best known for appearing on the 2025 series of ITV’s Love Island.** He is also the older brother of Alessia Russo, the England and Arsenal footballer.
Originally from Maidstone, Kent, Giorgio was working as an account manager and living in Sydney, Australia, when he joined Love Island in June 2025. His television appearance brought him wider public attention, while his subsequent activities included football-related media appearances and support for Soccer Aid for UNICEF’s 2026 campaign.
Although several public figures share the name Giorgio Russo, this profile concerns the former Love Island contestant.
Key takeaways
- Television career: Giorgio Russo appeared on series 12 of Love Island UK in June 2025, entering during the Sleepover twist.
- Family connection: He is the older brother of Alessia Russo, who plays football for Arsenal and England.
- Age and background: He was described as 30 years old when he joined Love Island in 2025. He comes from Maidstone and was living in Sydney at the time.
- Love Island departure: He was eliminated on 10 July 2025 following the Casa Amor recoupling.
- Later public work: His professional representation profile describes sports-media appearances, while Soccer Aid identified him as a supporter of its 2026 charity campaign.
Giorgio Russo profile summary
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Giorgio Russo |
| Known as | Gio Russo |
| Known for | Love Island UK, series 12 (2025) |
| Occupation in June 2025 | Account manager |
| Age when joining Love Island | 30, according to contemporary contestant profiles |
| Hometown | Maidstone, Kent, England |
| Residence in June 2025 | Sydney, Australia |
| Famous sibling | Alessia Russo, England and Arsenal footballer |
| Love Island debut | 23 June 2025 |
| Love Island elimination | 10 July 2025 |
| Other public activities | Football-related media appearances and Soccer Aid for UNICEF 2026 campaign support |
| Professional representation | Listed by Outreach Talent Group |
Early life and background
Giorgio Russo grew up in Maidstone, Kent, before spending time travelling and living overseas.
According to Capital’s June 2025 contestant profile, he travelled in Southeast Asia before settling in Sydney, Australia.
By the time he entered Love Island, Giorgio was working as an account manager. Unlike contestants already established in entertainment or broadcasting, his public introduction centred on his everyday professional background, his experience living abroad and his family connection to an England footballer.
Contemporary coverage described him as 30 years old in June 2025. His precise date of birth is less certain because later biographical websites give conflicting information.
Giorgio’s time in Australia also became part of his public identity. His professional profile with Outreach Talent Group refers to his experience living overseas, alongside his subsequent television appearance and football-related media work.
How is Giorgio Russo related to Alessia Russo?
Giorgio Russo is the older brother of Alessia Russo, the professional footballer who represents Arsenal and England.
Their relationship attracted attention when Giorgio entered Love Island in June 2025, while Alessia was involved in preparations for the Women’s European Championship.
The connection is confirmed through interviews with both siblings rather than simply through their shared surname.
In a BBC Sport interview published on 26 July 2025, Giorgio discussed his relationship with Alessia and explained that she was the first person he had told about his television appearance.
“She was the first person I told about Love Island,” he said.
The comment provides a glimpse of how he described their relationship at a time when both siblings were receiving public attention for very different reasons.
Alessia also addressed her brother’s television appearance in a BBC Sport interview published on 20 September 2025.
She explained that she had watched Giorgio on Love Island during Euro 2025, including privately with England teammate Ella Toone. Alessia acknowledged that watching her brother on a dating programme initially felt uncomfortable.
The interviews offer two perspectives on an unusual overlap between their public lives: Giorgio was appearing on reality television while Alessia was representing England at a major international football tournament.
Giorgio Russo’s Love Island appearance in 2025
Giorgio joined the twelfth series of ITV’s Love Island on 23 June 2025.
He entered as a bombshell, the programme’s term for a new contestant introduced after the original group of Islanders has already begun forming relationships.
His arrival came during the Sleepover twist, which introduced new contestants and gave existing Islanders the opportunity to explore different connections.
Entering the villa
Giorgio was among four new contestants introduced during the Sleepover storyline.
Following the twist, Helena Ford chose to couple with him, allowing him to enter the main villa.
This was the beginning of his principal appearance on the programme.
His introduction is sometimes confused with Casa Amor, another major Love Island twist. However, the two events occurred at different stages of the series.
Giorgio entered during Sleepover in June and remained on the programme until the Casa Amor recoupling in July.
Relationships and recouplings
As the series progressed, Giorgio’s relationships with other contestants changed.
Following his initial coupling with Helena Ford, he was later paired with Yasmin Pettet.
That relationship was part of the programme’s changing arrangements, where contestants could choose new partners during recoupling ceremonies.
During Casa Amor, Giorgio also explored a connection with another contestant, Yasmin Broom, known as Yaz.
Yasmin Pettet and Yasmin Broom were different contestants, a distinction that matters when following Giorgio’s time on the programme.
His television storyline eventually reached its conclusion during the Casa Amor recoupling.
Why did Giorgio Russo leave Love Island?
**Giorgio Russo was eliminated from Love Island on 10 July 2025 following the Casa Amor recoupling.**
He returned to the main villa without bringing back a new partner.
However, Billykiss Azeez had chosen to recouple with Boris Vidovic, leaving Giorgio single.
He was subsequently eliminated alongside fellow contestant Emily Moran.
The departure was covered in Rayo’s report published on 11 July 2025.
His appearance lasted just over two weeks, but it established the public television identity he would later use in football-related media and promotional appearances.
What happened after Love Island?
Giorgio’s first significant public appearance after leaving the villa was connected to his sister’s football career.
In July 2025, he travelled to Switzerland to support Alessia during the Women’s European Championship.
His presence attracted attention from sports broadcasters because he had recently appeared on one of Britain’s most recognisable reality television programmes.
Supporting Alessia at Euro 2025
On 17 July 2025, Sky News published an interview with Giorgio ahead of England’s European Championship quarter-final against Sweden.
The interview focused on Alessia and the support she received from her family.
BBC Sport subsequently featured Giorgio in its coverage of the families supporting England during the tournament.
In the July 26 interview, he spoke about the relationship between the siblings and his experience supporting Alessia.
The interviews marked a change in the context of his public appearances. During Love Island, Giorgio had been the subject of television coverage. At Euro 2025, he appeared in sports reporting as a member of a footballer’s family, discussing Alessia’s career and the tournament.
Moving into sports-related media work
Giorgio’s public activity subsequently extended into sports-related broadcasting and social media.
His Outreach Talent Group profile describes football-related appearances involving BBC Sport and talkSPORT.
The agency connects those activities with his previous experience in Australia, his participation in Love Island and his relationship with Alessia.
This professional description suggests a growing association with sports media, although it does not establish that Giorgio holds a permanent broadcasting position.
His public profiles also use the shorter name Gio Russo.
Outreach Talent Group links to his Instagram account, @giorgiorusso__, and TikTok account, @giorgiorusso___.
These platforms form part of his public-facing media presence, alongside his television appearance and football-related activities.
Giorgio Russo and Soccer Aid 2026
A further development came through Giorgio’s involvement in publicity for Soccer Aid for UNICEF 2026.
Soccer Aid is a charity football event that brings together celebrities and former professional players to raise money for UNICEF.
Ahead of its twentieth-anniversary event on 31 May 2026, the organisation included Gio Russo among the public figures supporting its campaign.
In its official announcement about celebrity supporters, Soccer Aid identified Giorgio through his connection to Love Island, referring to fellow contestant Harry Cooksley as his former co-star.
The organisation also described Giorgio as a BBC Sports Personality of the Year red-carpet presenter.
That description provides a specific example of the presenting work associated with his developing public profile. It should not be confused with holding a permanent role at the BBC or presenting the main awards ceremony.
Equally, his Soccer Aid involvement was promotional. The organisation identified him as a campaign supporter, rather than confirming that he played in the charity match.
The distinction matters because it shows the nature of his documented contribution: supporting the event’s publicity and participating in the broader celebrity campaign around it.
By 2026, Giorgio’s public activities therefore extended beyond reality television to include sports-related media appearances and charity promotion.
Those appearances represent the most clearly documented developments in his public career following Love Island.
His work also illustrates how his two most recognisable public connections have continued to overlap. He became known to television viewers through a dating programme, while his subsequent interviews and promotional activities have frequently involved football.
As of October 2026, his documented public profile includes appearances in sports coverage, professional representation through Outreach Talent Group and support for Soccer Aid for UNICEF’s 2026 campaign.
More from instantmag.co.uk.
