Love Island is back on our screens this year, returning to Cape Town for a second winter series for ITV2. The January instalment of the show will be presented by radio DJ Maya Jama for the first time after Laura Whitmore announced she was leaving the show after the last series.
On Monday night, 10 brand new islanders will enter the villa and 'couple up' for the first time. Among the contestants looking for love in sunny South Africa is Olivia Hawkins - an actress with an impressive career that has seen her star alongside Daniel Craig in a James Bond film.
The 27-year-old, from Brighton, has also worked as a body double for Hollywood star Emma Watson and former Corrie actress Michelle Keegan.
READ MORE: How to watch Love Island even if you are not in the UK
Olivia played a waitress in the latest Bond flick No Time To Die, which came out in 2021. She has also worked on a film with Jason Statham, who she had "a nice 10-minute convo about life" with, and has worked as a ring girl for KSI.
The actress admits that she has never been in a relationship before, but puts it down to a "wrong boy, wrong time" situation. Before heading into the famous villa, she told ITV: "I feel like now I’m really ready to settle down and hopefully find the love of my life."
Olivia, who said she falls in love quickly, wants to bring fun, vibes and "maybe a little bit of drama" to the show, and described herself as "very confident" and "bubbly". Asked why someone should date her, Olivia said: "I’m very loyal and have a big heart. When I fall, I fall deep so I would give someone 100 per cent of me as long as they give 100 per cent back. I think I’d be an amazing girlfriend."
When it comes to icks, Olivia said she can't stand it when guys have no pillows on their bed. "I went into a guy’s room once and I was like, ‘You don’t have any pillows, where am I supposed to lay my head?," she said. "Also when men use umbrellas, it’s a really weird one but it's just the thought of them running outside under the umbrella."
She also admitted to picking up a strange hobby on a recent holiday. "I got quite into flight radars, following the planes and seeing where they were going," she explained. "I’d be by the pool guessing if it’s going to Birmingham or Greece."
Other contestants entering the villa alongside Olivia include the first partially sighted islander, Ron Hall, the ex-girlfriend of last year’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! runner-up, Lana Jenkins, and semi-professional rugby player Kai Fagan.
Shaq Muhammad, 24, an airport security officer from London, Tanya Manhenga, 22, a biomedical sciences student from Liverpool, TikTok farmer Will Young, 23, and Anna-May Robey, a 20-year-old payroll administrator from Swansea, also join the cast.
Before the series aired, ITV announced that this year contestants will have to disable their social media accounts to protect both them and their families. As part of the broadcaster’s duty of care policies, islanders will also receive “guidance and training” around “mutually respectful behaviour in relationships”.
Love Island returns at 9pm on Monday January 16 on ITV2 and ITVX.
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