‘We’re the longest Love Island relationship — we said yes to everything, but kept one thing sacred’

As we join Zoom for a catch-up interview, reality royalty Olivia and Alex Bowen are happily lazing in bed (on top of the covers) with baby daughter Siena in her mum’s arms.

Seeing their faces triggers a distinct feeling of nostalgia, taking me back nearly a decade, when I’d spend evenings on the sofa in a London houseshare watching their unconventional love story on ITV’s second series of Love Island. 

Many millennials will remember that heady summer of 2016, when Alex, a scaffolder from Birmingham, bombshelled hard, catching the eye of salesperson Olivia across the poolside of a Mallorca villa. Their journey had its tests, such as a lie detector game ending in tears and arguments over insecurities, but they emerged as a united couple (albeit in second place).

Today, the hit ITV show looks a little different; 1.3million viewers watched the 2025 final compared to the 4million peak in 2019, while controversies surrounding the series include Women’s Aid regular statements signalling alarm at male toxic behaviour.

It could be why many look back with rose-tinted glasses at Olivia and Alex’s time on the show, who are one of only 18 couples still together from 14 series, and the longest surviving relationship. 

The early days

Reflecting on how things began, Olivia,now 31, tells Metro that Love Island made her life ‘do a complete 180’.

‘I was unhappy living on my own in a council flat, and doing a job I hated. I was in a funk,’ she admits. ‘Doing that show gave me mad confidence, and it turned things around. It was the most amazing thing you could go through as a 20-something.’

‘A holiday changed our lives,’ laughs Alex, 34. 

It certainly did. Coming out, they were instant celebrities with fans waiting at Stansted airport for a glimpse of the lovers, while recognisable brands, TV producers, and glossy magazines also wanted a piece of them.

It became abundantly clear that they could make serious cash out of their summer of love. Alex says one moment in particular encapsulated the pandemonium, when he arrived at ITV Studios to meet agencies vying to have him on their books. As he made his way to the meeting, one agent ambushed him en route, as they were so desperate to get an early advantage. ‘We got paid to do so much, like even going to Coachella. I would never have been able to afford that before Love Island, and now I was being given money to go.’

Olivia continues: ‘Love Island and social media were in their infancy before we went on it, so it wasn’t obvious that we were going to get careers from it. It turned out to be a golden time.’

‘When you get reality show fame, they normally say you’ve got six to 12 months to smash it, so we went for it,’ Alex adds. He did PAs at around 100 nightclubs, while Olivia set the blueprint for how women could make their dollar, getting paid six figures to work with beauty and fashion brands, including Quiz and Cocoa Brown. 

However, such riches came at a cost.

The pair had to remain relevant, so they appeared at the right events and spoke to journalists, who wanted to know about every aspect of their romance to satisfy fans. 

‘It was a weird time, to be honest, but we helped each other,’ says Alex, while Olivia adds, ‘We were very open, but we rarely spoke about our sex life. What we were up to on the show was in everyone’s living room [back in series two, ITV were less shy about showing suggestive sheet movements], so we wanted to keep that for ourselves going forward. We never agreed on it with each other; it just happened that we kept it sacred, which I always liked.’

Within six months, the pair had moved in together, got matching tattoos, purchased a dog, and got engaged. It has to be asked, was it such a whirlwind because the public was craving milestones? 

‘We stayed in a bubble and did what we wanted. The engagement within six months was all me and was unexpected for many,’ Alex insists.

‘A lot of Love Island couples say they argue when they get out, and then they’ll go on Instagram and message someone else. Me and Liv always spoke about any problems and worked on them, instead of thinking the grass was greener.’

After a new batch of hopefuls boarded a flight to Spain for series three, Olivia admits she was concerned about how long their windfall could last as a new cast entered the chat. ‘This is not a natural path, so we took steps to ensure that we had financial freedom, like investing in property.’ she explains. The couple now have a multi-million pound portfolio with four homes in England and one in Spain. 

Like many in their early twenties, the pair were also figuring out what they wanted to do with their lives. They started a fashion company, Exempt, which ceased trading after a few collections as they couldn’t put full focus on it, and starred in their own reality shows, Olivia and Alex: Happily Ever After and Olivia and Alex Said Yes, with TLC, but they abruptly finished after I Do. 

‘We were really young, and I don’t think we took it that seriously,’ Olivia says honestly. She adds of their choices, including Instagram ads for teeth whitening products despite having veneers: ‘If anybody were in our position, they’d do what we did because the money can be really great.’

However, things went too far on MTV’s Tattoo of Us, which sees two people, often celebrities, picking tattoos for each other, with the design kept secret until it’s permanently inked. Alex chose a cartoon of Olivia sitting on a cow to symbolise her love of milk, while Olivia picked a crying baby for Alex because of how sensitive he is to getting inked. Both were unhappy with the results.

‘That was the tipping point where I was like, I’m not saying yes to everything anymore, just because the agency wants you to,’ says Alex, who is now under different management. ‘Those tattoos are for the rest of your life, and it wasn’t even an amazing experience. Now, if the money’s good, if it doesn’t align with what I like or it’ll make me look stupid, then I won’t do it.’ 

Olivia and Alex Bowen’s next steps

Things have changed massively for the pair, and so have their opportunities. Olivia points out she’s gone from fronting campaigns for makeup to candles, while Alex has made a return to what he was passionate about before Love Island, fitness, and has started an online coaching business. 

They’re happy with the transition, saying it reflects this stage of their life. ‘I want to build something that I can have when I’m older and this work stops,’ says Alex.But the allure of reality TV is still there, as they’ve secured another fly-on-the-wall show, Olivia & Alex: Parenthood.

‘It’s a full circle coming back to ITV, and we are so lucky to have people still care. This is us letting everyone who supported us along the way into our family in the hopes that it helps, inspires, and provides escapism,’ says Olivia. ‘They’ll be seeing us in a different light than what they remember.’

Two children, Abel, three, and two-month-old Siena, are joining them for a start, and their involvement means the couple are even more considered. Being respected reality stars means they were unequivocally listened to and had power over how edits would go, unlike the early days.

‘We had a big say in how it’s going to be, which is important as we want our kids to be shown respectfully. There’s no footage of them running around, eating food, or anything like that. There were a lot of rules,’ explains Alex, saying he doesn’t want their privacy invaded too much. 

Despite this, the couple insist viewers will still get a glimpse into their world. ‘It’s not just the fun parts of our lives, it’s us walking around the house, doing our normal day-to-day stuff, and arguing,’ says Alex. ‘We wanted that rough feel to it, as people can see straight through when it’s not real. It’s the old fly-on-the-wall style.’

Metro suggests it sounds like The Osbournes, and the couple agree -although, they add, ‘with less swearing’.

Olivia & Alex: Parenthood is on ITVX and ITV2 from Sunday 12th October

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Josie.Copson@metro.co.uk 

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