‘i want to have my head screwed on’

EXCLUSIVE

Having appeared on Love Island back in 2016, Olivia and Alex Bowen are proof that the show really does deliver true romance.

Following two years together, the pair said “I do” in 2018 and became parents for the first time in 2022 when they welcomed their son Abel. And reflecting on the time since the couple met, Olivia’s still pinching herself.

“I can’t believe it’s been eight years. It’s nearly been a decade and that’s really scary,” she tells new. “I don’t know whether I’m more shocked at the career I have or at the fact I have a husband and a child from Love Island.

“I can’t quite work it out, but I feel very lucky to be in the position that we’re in. I owe it to Love Islandfor giving me that push in the right direction and just making me meet my husband, which is crazy.”

While viewers may have watched Olivia fall in love on national television, the 30-year-old has opened up about her relationship with Alex, 32, away from the cameras too. Since becoming parents two years ago, the TV personality has spoken about the importance of making time with her husband.

“Alex and I have said how it is really easy to put your relationship last because you don’t think that it needs the help or the work. But we’ve both realised that we do need to put time into each other, so I think it’s just learning what helps the other person and what the other person loves,” she says.

“For me, that’s him helping around the house and for him that’s cuddling and just being present. We’re making sure that we speak to each other in the right love language, and I think that’s been important for us to learn. Also just being nice to each other and taking the time to listen to each other’s day. It’s the little things that make a difference.”

It’s this honesty that has cemented Olivia as one of Love Island’s most memorable contestants. Whether it’s mental health or dealing with postpartum body image, she isn’t afraid of wearing her heart on her sleeve and talking about topics that many of us will relate to.

“I’ve always struggled with body image, whether I’ve made it known or not. I push it to the back of my mind because I know it’s not the most important thing about me.