Olivia Attwood tells us she’s ditched the Botox, meaning she can move her face again
Going without Botox has been weird -
The reality star tells Charlotte Oliver why lockdown was eye-opening and eyebrow-dropping
It can be all too easy in our filtered world to assume that celebs live stress-free, problem-free and, worst of all, wrinklefree lives. That’s why we at heat cling to the stars who tell it like it is. Ones like Olivia Attwood who, in the three years since she first found fame on Love Island, has been refreshingly filter-free. From responding to followers who berated her for getting lip fillers (she defiantly clapped back, “If I want my lips to look like a swollen butthole, that is MY choice”) to serving up the best one-liners on Celebs Go Dating and TOWIE, Liv’s forever putting the real in reality star. And as her 1.8million social media followers know, she’s outdone herself over the past three months – opening up like never before about her mental health, as well as the more trivial challenges of 2020. Because we all know what it’s like to be worrying about the state of the world as well as the state of our nails and hair.
Speaking to heat from her flat in Manchester, where she and her fiancé footballer Bradley Dack, 26, have just returned after selfisolating at her parents’ house in Surrey, Liv, 29, chats Botox (or lack thereof), babies and turning Brad into a reality star…
So, how was it living back at mum and dad’s? I hadn’t lived at home since I was 18. Some days were really good, and other days, I was absolutely vile, like, “Get me out of here!” But, on the whole, it was surprisingly conflict-free.
Do they get along with Brad? Yeah, he’s their favourite boyfriend I’ve had. They probably get on with him a bit too well – he can do no wrong at all in my mum’s eyes. He also handled lockdown so well – he’s quite happy just working out and pottering around the house, but I constantly need to be here, there and everywhere. Did you guys manage to get enough alone time? Do you know what, we were lucky – it’s quite a spacious house, so we weren’t on top of each other. I mean, it probably didn’t do amazing things for our sex life – but then, it would be a bit weird if it did, wouldn’t it?
It looked like you and Brad enjoyed being together 24/7… We were absolutely fine 99 per cent of the time. There was the odd day where I was being a bit moody and we’d just give each other some space. On Instagram, it looks like we’re together all the time, but we kind of got into a routine where I’d get up earlier, use the gym first, then he’d come down and use the gym while I did some work. We made sure we weren’t breathing down each other’s necks. You’ve been a lifeline for fans with your daily Insta stories… It’s been really nice to focus fully on my social media. I’ve been reading my DMS and actually replying, which I normally wouldn’t have the time to do. Some days I’d be scratching my head wondering what to post – it’s hard to provide content when you’re literally not doing anything. But my management were surprised that I was actually posting things on time for once! You’ve opened up about dealing with anxiety – is it still difficult to talk about? I wouldn’t say it comes naturally to me. When I was a model doing promo work [pre-love Island], I suffered with anxiety and depression, but I was encouraged to hide it. You’d put your work face on and not talk about it, because it made you unappealing to bookers. But I feel like now the world is doing a U-turn in a good way. As much as I encourage others to open up, I’m still learning myself and reminding myself to not have to pretend like everything is fine. It takes me outside my comfort zone. But whenever I share anything, I then get DMS from people saying I’ve helped them, which makes me feel so good. You ditched the hair extensions and the fillers during lockdown – was that traumatic? I know it’s such a first-world problem and so shallow, but I have to be honest, there were a few days where I was freaking out. You know those little things you do to make yourself feel nice, even things like having your nails and roots done? It was definitely a humbling experience, but I guess it was refreshing, too. Some days, I’d wear my hair down, do my make-up and think, “Do you know what – I can deal with this.” And then a few days later, I’d be like, “No, I can’t!” What was the hardest bit about going au naturel? My hair just made me sick. I couldn’t believe how dark it got, because I was blonde as a child. And my nails – I remember the day I had to take my acrylics off myself.
I was on the floor for three hours surrounded by all this removal kit that I’d bought off Amazon. How does it take them 25 minutes in the salon and I’m there three hours later trying to get three layers of acrylic off ? What did Brad think about the natural look? Well, he’d never say anything horrible. But I think he prefers my hair how it normally is – I can’t really blame him! At least you didn’t go grey… That is true. A lot of my friends have been dealing with greys during lockdown – I’m in my late twenties, so I’m sure the greys are around the corner. Actually, my hair grew so much. Normally, it’s constantly getting bleached and styled, but letting it dry naturally has done it so much good. In June, you said it felt like your face was “melting” without the Botox – does it still feel strange? Yeah, I don’t even have Botox that often, but even the fact that I could fully move my face – I was just like, “This is weird!” It was so strange that everything was dissolving. But at the same time, it was quite nice to give everything a rest. What did you struggle most with during lockdown? Obviously, the hair and beauty stuff is really superficial – it’s not something I’ll lose sleep over. On a serious note, I’m very routineorientated and I like to keep busy – it’s good for my mental health. So, having to adapt to a new way of life was tough. And now that we’re coming out the other side, I’m also nervous. It’s really weird to be around people again. I feel like I’ve sort of forgotten my social skills. We had a socially distanced barbecue the other day and I told Brad, “I don’t even know what I’m going to talk to people about.” It sounds like work’s picking up again? Yeah, I’ve got a few bits and bobs. It does feel like normality is on its way back. I think we’re aiming to resume filming TOWIE mid-july, but who knows what the rules will be. Brad seems to be getting more comfortable appearing on your Insta – will we see you guys fronting your own show? Ha! I’m trying to break him in and
‘I feel like I’ve sort of forgotten all my social skills’
get him more used to the camera. We’ve actually done a lot of plotting and brainstorming during lockdown. I think, obviously, whatever we did, it would include our wedding, because people will want to see that. So, fingers crossed, there will be something in the pipeline. But nothing’s confirmed. Did coronavirus derail the wedding planning? Yeah, it’s on hold for now. We were meant to be going away to view locations abroad the week we went into lockdown. So, it’s basically on hold until we can book the venue. We talked about doing it in the UK, which would mean we could book things quicker, but we just don’t want to risk it with the weather. A few weeks ago was the week we’d potentially be having it in 2021 and it rained all week. We’re still hoping to have it next year – fingers crossed. How do you feel about the inevitable baby question? To be fair, we do talk about it a lot – I think we’ve talked about it even more during lockdown, because we’ve run out of other things to discuss. It’s definitely something that’s on my mind. I’m not old, but I’m not getting younger either, but we’re both very keen to get married first. I don’t even want other kids at my wedding, let alone my own. We also want to have the hen and the stag dos guilt-free. And you guys are also house-hunting at the moment… Yeah, we were buying a house before lockdown – then came coronavirus, and the sellers ended up not wanting to leave, so now we’re looking again. I do love our apartment, but we’re ready to be in a house. Have you thought about moving to the countryside? I veer between the two. My sister lives in a really rural area – she’s got dogs, horses and goats! We recently visited and it seemed so lovely. But then I got in the car and I had animal hair all over me and goat shit on my wellies, so I was like, “Actually, this isn’t for me.” You recently sparked some debate after saying you do Brad’s laundry… Yeah, all the girls following me were giving me shit for washing his clothes. But, you know what, he does a lot for me. And I don’t like him going near the washing machine, because I’m so nervous he’ll ruin something. It’s not like I wait on him hand and foot – it’s all about give and take. For the last few months, we’ve done a lot of things together, but I still prefer my cooking. He cooks like a student – he puts everything in one pan and just mixes it aggressively. Finally, is it true that you went the whole way through lockdown without having a drink? Yeah, not one! I drank for the first time last weekend – I had one glass of wine and was absolutely pissed. Everyone was shocked that I wasn’t drinking, but I actually don’t drink when I’m at home, I only drink when I go to events or parties. So, it wasn’t a case of me going sober – it was just that I had nowhere to go. Plus, it makes my anxiety bad, so I just thought waking up hungover and feeling trapped wouldn’t be a good combo. Everyone says I must be the only person who didn’t drink during lockdown. n