Olivia: ‘too old’ for Love Island – at 27
AS ONE OF the original cast members of Love Island’s winter series, 27-year-old Olivia Hawkins has been on our screens every night for almost two months. But now back in the UK after a whirlwind experience in South Africa, the Brightonborn actor and ring girl is facing the public’s reactions to her – good and bad.
Olivia knew viewers would have their opinions but, she tells Grazia, she has been shocked by the ageism she’s faced. ‘When I came out of the villa, one of the first things I saw on social media was, “She’s too old for the show” and “It all makes sense why she’s never been in a relationship”,’ Olivia says, after being candid on the show about never having had a boyfriend before. ‘The fact I’m 27 and people think I’m too old to be on a show about finding love is just ridiculous.’
Olivia’s journey to finding The One was eventful. After coupling up with Haris Namani, Tom Clare, Spencer Wilks and Kai Fagan, she went on to partner with Maxwell Samuda – who she eventually left with.
It’s not the only time we’ve seen sexist scrutiny of female Love Islanders, though.
Series four’s Laura Anderson was 29 when she went into the villa and has spoken out about how this impacted her on and off the show. ‘On the island, it became very apparent that I was the older girl. When I learned that my dad had to get my birth certificate to show I wasn’t lying about my age, it was horrible,’ she said in 2021. ‘After the show, people would compare me with the other girls and they would definitely get jobs over me because they were younger.’
Perhaps the ageism shouldn’t be a surprise for a show that relies so heavily on unrealistic beauty standards. Indeed, ITV1 has just commissioned a ‘middle aged’ version of the show, called The Romance Retreat. Fronted by Davina Mccall, it will see older single parents head to a country house to seek a partner, rather than include them in the Love Island villa.
Despite the age-shaming, Olivia says she hopes she has shown young women that you don’t have to live by society’s outdated expectations. ‘Yes I’m 27 and I’ve never been in a relationship, but I’m not settling for less than I deserve,’ she says. ‘You can build your career and put yourself first – don’t feel pressure to get into a relationship just for the sake of it.’
While Olivia was also labelled ‘toxic’ after she clashed variously with Islanders Zara Deniz Lackenby Brown, Jessie Wynter and Kai Fagan, she says she has been misunderstood. ‘I’m not a bully, toxic or a mean girl,’ adding that those remarks went side by side with commenters who said the show was ‘boring’ after she made her exit a week before the end. The aftercare for contestants has been of paramount concern for ITV and producers in recent years, and Olivia says that she has counselling available to her. ‘I’m lucky to have a strong support bubble – my family and friends have really held me up,’ she adds.
And so, despite the roller-coaster ride post-love Island, Olivia has emerged upbeat. After making their relationship exclusive, she’s looking towards a future with Maxwell. Could she see herself falling in love? ‘Yes. So this is huge for me.’