'Love Island' star Olivia Hawkins says the ITV 2 dating show has ‘ruined’ her love life

The purpose of ‘Love Island’ to help people find relationships, but Love Islander Olivia Hawkins has said that being a contestant on the popular ITV 2 dating show has made it harder for her to find a partner.

Hawkins, aged 28, who appeared on the winter Love Island UK 2023 series said that it is a lot harder for her to live her life ever since she found fame on the hit reality TV show.

During her stint on the show, Hawkins, an actress from Brighton, ended up being dumped along with Maxwell Samuda two weeks before the finale following a public vote. After leaving the villa together, the couple split weeks after the show ended.

Speaking about their time together on the Murad Merali Podcast, Samuda said, “When you’re in the villa and even just after the villa but you’re still in South Africa together, it’s a very different environment.

“It’s kind of easy to have a great time when you’re on holiday. But once you come back home, there are all these other things going on that then take your attention and take your focus.”

He added: “Some people could expect me to be bitter, and (Hawkins) to be bitter and come out and say some stuff, but honestly… I hold her in very high regard.”

You might think that although being on Love Island didn’t lead to the long-lasting union Hawkins was hoping for, it would make it easier for her to meet potential partners. But, she explained why she feels it has actually made it harder for her to find the one.

While speaking to ’The Daily Star’, she said: “I am dating but I’m not in a rush to settle down. ‘Love Island’ has definitely hindered things I’d say, it’s so much harder now.”

She continued: “You don’t know people’s intentions, it’s a lot harder. I think people assume we’re probably more intimidating or something now. The only way people approach me mainly is on Instagram, but they don’t even message, it’s just a like of a story or something.”

Hawkins has also recently said she’d be happy to go back into the villa next year for the ‘Love Island All Stars’ season, a spin off show which launched earlier this year and sees former contestants return for a second chance of love.