It’s been almost six years since it first aired, but Love Island 2017 is still one of the most iconic seasons of the ITV2 show to date.
One of the most well-known Islanders to come from the third series is Olivia Attwood and she recently spilled some behind-the-scenes tea we never knew until now.
Olivia was taking part in an Instagram Q&A when one of her followers asked if she ever thought about her now-fiancé Bradley Dack while she was in the villa. Liv and Bradley dated prior to her appearing on the show, but she decided to jet off to look for love in Mallorca as he didn’t want to commit at the time.
Responding to the fan, Olivia wrote, “What a question 😅 Soooo when one of the bombshells came in they mentioned to me that [they] had bumped into him and he knew that Brad and I had dated etc and it sent me over the edge, really ruined my day.
“Love Island is so consuming when you are in there, especially after about three weeks, you really forget there even is a world outside it.”
Olivia also revealed that Brad had tried to convince her not appear on Love Island when another fan asked, “What was Brad’s reaction to you going on Love Island?”
She explained, “When he found out he tried to convince me not to go… but I was v angry with him so I said no hun I have to, bye x.
“It wasn’t as easy as that obviously lol but so glad I did. We would not be together now if I hadn’t, that’s a fact.”
We’re so pleased everything worked out for them in the end.
This all comes after Olivia admitted she nearly didn't take part in the ITV2 dating show. Imagine a world with no Liv temper tantrums and nobody telling Chris Hughes they will fight him in the vegetable aisle. It is simply not worth thinking about.
Chatting to her Instagram followers during another recent Q&A, Olivia admitted that she was originally supposed to be a contestant on Love Island 2016 before she GHOSTED the ITV producers because apparently when you are Olivia Attwood you can do whatever the hell you want.
"I was meant to go on series 2... chickened out and ghosted everyone from itv 🥹," Olivia revealed when one fan asked, "How do you get onto Love Island?"
Olivia on season two? That would have been a shock to the system.
Who would Olivia have coupled up with? Who would she have been bezzie mates with? Most importantly, who would she have rowed with?
Just imagine an alternate universe where Olivia is married to Terry Walsh and BFFs with Cara De La Hoyde.
Luckily for us (and Love Island producers), Olivia admitted that she finally saw sense and contacted ITV in the hopes of returning to the reality show,
She added, " [I] then begged them to let me on series 3, they did... and the rest is history 🫶."
History indeed, Olivia is now thriving in every aspect. Let's take a look at what the iconic islander has been up to since leaving the villa.
Who is Olivia Attwood?
Love Island 2017 standout contestant Olivia has reigned supreme and has become one of the show's most successful stars. From TOWIE and Celebs Go Dating to her own successful documentary series Olivia Attwood : Getting Filthy Rich, Liv has made quite the name for herself in the world of showbiz.
Liv definitely ruffled some feathers during her time in the villa (remember THAT 'Sit down', 'I'm sat' row with Chris Hughes?), but her banter and quirky catch phrases eventually won us over.
But ANYWAY... we digress.
Olivia is a reality TV star from Surrey. She travelled the world as a model and motorsport grid girl before finding reality fame on Love Island. Before the show, she also competed in beauty pageants, including a Tropic Beauty contest, representing London.
Before entering the villa, she described herself as having an immature sense of humour and said she can be quite naughty.
Why did Olivia Attwood leave I'm A Celeb?
During the 2022 season of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! Olivia left the show with no explanation and everyone was devastated (by everyone we mean us.)
For a time rumours were circulating as the shows medical team advised it was "not safe for Olivia to return to camp".
One of the theories was that Olivia could be pregnant with her first child, while some reports claimed that she had been forced to leave after breaking a Covid bubble.
However, the reality star and documentary host has now set the record straight and admitted the real reason for her exit was "not that exciting".
Speaking during an appearance on This Morning, Olivia told hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, "I was pulled out on my first day in main camp for routine medical checks - which can be blood pressure, giving blood - so I had my blood taken and the results came back that my iron was low, I was showing that I was anaemic. Potassium was really low, sodium was really low, so basically all the markers you would look for were low so they consulted with a doctor outside of camp and they said I would need to come to A&E basically off the back of those readings, so I was taken to the nearest A&E department, admitted in there where they ran their own checks and their checks came back normal, so…
"Just before leaving the UK I’d had all those checks and everything was normal and the first thing I said to the camp doctor was ‘is that possible for things to change in such a short time?’ and he didn’t really have an answer, but that it was not normal and why we need to see what’s going on…”
She added, "It was quite long [the journey] because everything’s so far away in Australia and I was thinking ‘oh am I pregnant?’ or ‘have I picked up a virus?’ and wondering how things have changed so much, and also I felt well. I didn't feel ill. I saw things online saying, ‘I bet she fainted’ but there was nothing… I was loving it [in the jungle] as you can see, I was really in my element and I felt healthy so I was even more confused. It was all really strange.”
Olivia revealed that bosses told her she wouldn't be heading back into camp that evening while they discussed her future as she explained, "I was like ‘shall we go back?’ and I knew there would be Covid tests and things like that but there was a pause in proceedings there, and it was late at night and taking me back into camp doesn’t work logistically so I went to a hotel and basically as I now know the conversations went on all through the night with production obviously desperate to have me back in, but the medical team… I think it’s an insurance thing.
"Because they had those readings, they had to seek other party opinions and it’s a collective decision. I think they thought the readings might drop that low again and they wouldn’t be covered because it’s already been flagged up.”
Olivia admitted she was "frustrated" that she hadn't been able to carry on with the show and told Phil and Holly, "I think when you come off reality shows, you get a huge opportunity, and I’ve done amazing things, but also, I think you can be put in a box and I was looking forward to showing a different side to myself. I am not a quitter, I am not scared of much, and I was just loving it. I was looking forward to having that exposure to a new audience.”
Olivia's TV appearance comes after her team denied she broke Covid rules. They released a statement on Instagram which said, "For clarity, Olivia did not leave the jungle for Covid reasons."
In an earlier statement, Olivia's team wrote, "To say Olivia is heartbroken would be an understatement, she dreamed of doing 'I'm a Celeb' for years, and was absolutely loving every second of the show and throwing herself into jungle life feet first (just as we knew she would).
"However, for reasons beyond her control her journey has been cut short. Your support and kind words have meant the absolute world to her, now as much as it always has. 🤍 ".
They added, "You will hear the truth from Olivia in due course and she will be back on your screens in the New Year. ✨ Ps. Who's going to roast Matt Hancock now??
".
Olivia's appearance in the jungle was the first time a Love Island star has appeared on I'm A Celeb, after producers reportedly ended a seven-year ban on the reality stars.
When is Olivia Attwood going to marry Bradley Dack?
Olivia has kept us all updated about the rollercoaster ride that has been organising her upcoming nuptials to her footballer fiancé Bradley Dack and has recently admitted that she has no idea when the wedding will happen but she hopes it will be in 2023.
The reality star, who fronts her own ITVBe show with Brad, has admitted that she would happily get married in Las Vegas, but Bradley wants more on a 'traditional vibe'.
During a recent Instagram Q&A where she was asked about the nupitals, she said, "Omg this question. Just because it's so much. We are booked for June 2023. I want to elope and get married in Vegas, Brad doesn't want to."
"He wants to have the traditional wedding. He thinks I will regret it in the future, which maybe I would."
She added, "I’m just not really a wedding girl. I never dreamt about getting married when I was younger.
"I dreamt of getting the engagement ring and running away! Joke lol! But anyway, yeah, I have my dress, we have the venue, we have the best wedding planner in the whole world."
She continued, "I just don’t want it to cause me stress because then I think what’s the point?
"I've just got really stressed out to buy everyone a really expensive dinner.
"What have I got out of it? So I'm just going to do it, emotionally disconnect from the stress of it."
"But I love Bradley and it has to be something we both want."
Hopefully everything is resolved now and they can continue planning what is expected to be the reality wedding of the year.
Olivia previously shared on her Instagram Story that she "regrets" jumping from "relationship to relationship" and wishes she had spent more time alone.
During a Q&A on social media, one of her fans asked whether she preferred being single or in a relationship, and it's safe to say that she was brutally honest.
Despite the Love Island star being engaged, she admitted, "I haven't been single since I was 15. Any remotely 'single' period I had, I would always have someone on the scene.
"I jumped from relationship to relationship my whole life, with this deep routed fear of being alone."
She went on to say, "And I regret it slightly - I wish I had forced myself to grow a bit.
"This is the first time in my life where I actually believe I could be happy on my own."
Unlucky that she's happily tied up with Brad then, eh?
However, she clarified that she's very smitten with her footballer boyfriend by adding, "(Not that I'm wishing for that 🤣🤣 very happy with my Bradders) but you know what I mean x".
Liv and Bradders own a gorg house in Cheshire together and are parents to two rescue doggos.
How old is Olivia Attwood?
Olivia was born on 2 May 1991, making her 31 years old.
How tall is Olivia Attwood?
She's 5"9, which is no surprise given that she used to model.
Who are Olivia Attwood's family?
Olivia is super close to her family, especially her mum Jenny who has appeared on Love Island (on the meet the parents episode) and more recently on her reality show Olivia Meets Her Match.
Her dad is less known, even though her mum and dad are very much happily married, his name is Kai and Olivia has repeatedly said he is German.
Olivia has two siblings, Max and Georgia.
Will there be another series of Olivia Meets Her Match?
There has already been two series of Olivia Meets Her Match, with the second only airing in 2021, but Olivia's fans are already begging for a series three - especially as they series could focus on her upcoming wedding to Bradley.
We'll have to wait and see...
Does Olivia Attwood have children?
No but she does have two dogs, Lola and Stitch, both of which are rescue pups. Totally adorbs.
Olivia has championed the subject of dog rescue ever since she gained a platform to speak about things she's passionate about and regularly encourages her followers to look into adoption.
What happened with Olivia and Chris Hughes?
Despite having a whirlwind romance in the Love Island villa, the pair famously had a rocky relationship and even split when filming for their spin-off show Crackin' On. The show filmed the pair fresh from Love Island and cracks soon began to show as they moved in together and couldn't stop bickering.
Then came the rumours of Chris kissing a mystery woman during a night out in November 2017. There was a total saga between Chris and Katie Price after Katie apparently sent some flirty Whatsapp messages to Chris after he went on Loose Women, but Olivia has described the whole thing as laughable.
Olivia then moved on to date her former boyfriend and footballer Bradley who Chris claimed she was dating while they were still together.
Safe to say, they're not pals anymore.
Who has Olivia Attwood dated?
Aside from Bradley and Chris, Olivia's dating life is relatively low key.
However, Olivia has had her fair share of heartbreak and uses it as a reason why she now doesn't put up with any toxic behaviour.
Before rising to fame, Olivia Attwood experienced a toxic relationship and experienced utter heartbreak when her ex-boyfriend "woke up and left her" after five years.
Speaking to Paul Brunson and Lady Nadia Essex on Celebs Go Dating, Olivia revealed, "Going right back to my teenage years, my first serious boyfriend at sort of 18 got me very serious very quickly.
"He was a couple of years older and I was thinking of getting engaged – that was me – done. And we were together for nearly five years.
"He woke up one day, got up for work, and didn’t come back. I had the rug pulled from beneath my feet really quickly."
Who is Olivia Attwood's best friend?
Since the show, a beautiful friendship has cemented between Liv and co-star Amber Davies, and they now seem thick as thieves.
Olivia also has a lot of friends in the reality circle including Charlotte Crosby, Clelia Theodorou, Fran Parman and Nicole Bass.
What is Olivia Attwood's net worth?
Olivia is still as relevant now she she was in 2017, so it's safe to say that her commitment to the drama has paid off as she has an estimated worth of £1.2million.
She has made money from clothing deals, brand sponsorships, appearing on TOWIE but has mostly become a big personality within the entertainment industry following Olivia Meets her Match.
The TV star reportedly earns up to £3,000 per Instagram post and has come to earn even more after making two major deals with I Saw It First.
Who did Olivia Attwood couple up with in the villa?
Liv started her Love Island journey with Blazin' babe Marcel Somerville, before snagging Camilla Thurlow's man Sam Gowland and striking up a romance with him.
They then coupled up at the next recoupling, but Liv quickly caught 'the ick', and ditched him for newbie Chris, when he started to put it on her.
But the course of true love didn't run entirely smoothly for the pair, as Mike Thalassitis rocked up in the villa and stole her at the next recoupling.
After a bit of sneaky snogging in the corridor while coupled up with Mike, Liv and Chris eventually recoupled, and remained together for the rest of the show. They even dropped the "I really LIKE you" bomb the other day, which is a pretty big step if you consider how much the pair loved to argue with each other.
Does she have an Instagram or Twitter?
You can follow Olivia on Instagram @oliviajade_attwood and on Twitter @oliviajade_att.
CHECK OUT: Love Island's most dramatic love triangles
Love Island's Most Dramatic Love Triangles slider
1 of 14Lucie Donlan, Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague (series five)
When boxer Tommy Fury entered the villa with Curtis Pritchard, Lucie Donlan seemed to fancy him a bit. Then, when the blonde bombshell that is Molly-Mae Hague entered and took Tommy on a date, Lucie realised that she fancied him a lot. Unfortunately Molly-Mae was Tommy's preferred blonde and they're still together to this day. Seems like he made the right choice.
2 of 14Tommy Fury, Lucie Donlan and Joe Garratt (series five)
Even before Molly-Mae Hague entered the villa, Lucie Donlan found herself in another love triangle, caught between Tommy Fury and Joe Garratt. After Joe chose her in the recoupling and became pretty possessive, Lucie made it clear that she was keeping her options open and that Tommy was one of those options.
3 of 14Jourdan Riane, Curtis Pritchard and Amy Hart (series five)
While Amy Hart was in Casa Amor telling Molly-Mae Hague that she loved Curtis Pritchard, he was busy cracking on with bombshell Jourdan Riane back in the main villa. Although Curtis ultimately chose to stay loyal to Amy (when Jourdan rejected him), the damage was already done and the two soon went their separate ways but not before Amy uttered the now infamous line, "I was coming back here to tell you I love you."
4 of 14Rebecca Gormley, Luke Trotman and Siânnise Fudge (series six)
After Rebecca Gormley swiped Luke Trotman from Siânnise Fudge in a previous recoupling, a love triangle was born with both girls fighting to keep him. Eventually Luke put the matter to rest by choosing Siânnise and they went on to be the series runners-up.
5 of 14Laura Anderson, Wes Nelson and Megan Barton-Hanson (series four)
Despite being in a couple with Eyal Booker, during a game of Snog, Marry, Pie, Megan Barton Hanson decided to make a play for Wes Nelson. Wes, who was in a couple with Laura Anderson at the time, decided to snog her back and the pair eventually coupled up much to Laura's dismay. Although the pair ended up dating after the show, Laura got the last laugh after coming in second with Paul Knops whilst Megan and Wes only came in fourth.
6 of 14Yewande Biala, Danny Williams and Arabella Chi (series five)
Almost immediately after asking Yewande Biala to show him more affection, Danny Williams started flirting with Arabella Chi and ultimately chose to recouple with her (the out-going model) instead of Yewande (the shy scientist). How predictable. But, as Yewande told Danny, "What goes around, comes around," as he found out when he and Arabella were booted out of the villa soon after.
7 of 14Amber Gill, Michael Griffiths and Joanna Chimonides (series five)
Amber Gill and Michael Griffiths originally seemed like the perfect couple until Casa Amor struck yet again and Michael's head was turned by bombshell Joanna Chimondes. The nation's outrage at his decision was confirmed when Amber later won the series despite having only known Greg O'Shea for a few days.
8 of 14Dom Lever, Jess Shears and Montana Brown (series three)
By the second day in series three, we already had our first love triangle after Jess Shears snogged Dom Lever during a challenge, despite the fact that he was coupled up with Montana Brown. Dom eventually realised that Jess was more his type leaving Montana fuming but, it seems that he made the right choice since Jess and Dom are still together to this day.
9 of 14Ovie Soko, Anna Vakili and Jordan Hames (series five)
After heading to Casa Amor, Anna Vakili's head was turned by basketball player Ovie Soko, leaving her former partner Jordan Hames single. But, once back in the villa, Anna couldn't seem to make up her mind between her two love interests and flitted between the two. Eventually, after a fight with Ovie, Jordan and Anna shared a steamy smooch on the balcony and got back together.
10 of 14Kaz Crossley, Josh Denzel and Georgia Steel (series four)
Georgia Steel and Josh Denzel seemed to hitting it off until Josh headed to Casa Amor and returned in a couple with Kaz Crossley. Ever "loyal" Georgia proceeded to tell Josh he'd "f--ked it" and later coupled up with Sam Bird.
11 of 14Malin Andersson, Terry Walsh and Emma-Jane Woodhams (series two)
Malin Andersson and Terry Walsh were an unlikely couple but seemed to make it work. In fact, when Malin got kicked out of the villa, Terry nearly left with her but ultimately decided to stay whilst promising that he wasn't looking for love. However, as soon as Emma-Jane Woodhams arrived, his tune changed completely and the two were soon having sex on top of the covers. And who could forget that showdown that we got between Terry and Malin later. Iconic.
12 of 14Molly-Mae Hague, Tommy Fury and Maura Higgins (series five)
When Maura Higgins entered the villa, she immediately set her sights on Tommy Fury despite the fact that he was already in a couple with Molly-Mae Hague. Tommy was clearly torn between the two for a while but eventually decided to stay with Molly-Mae and the rest, as they say, is history.
13 of 14Sam Gowland, Chris Hughes and Olivia Attwood (series three)
After initially being paired with Sam Gowland, Olivia Attwood's head was soon turned by late-entry Chris Hughes much to Sam's dismay. Liv and Chris eventually coupled up and after MANY bumps in the road, came in third place together.
14 of 14Zara McDermott, Adam Collard and Rosie Williams (series four)
Adam Collard flitted between women during his short-lived stint on Love Island from Kendall Rae Knight to Rosie Williams, then to Zara McDermott, much to Rosie's dismay. Adam was slammed on social media for his treatment of Rosie but managed to slightly redeem himself by making a go of things outside the villa with Zara, however the real-world romance was short-lived.