'I don't live life with regrets - life's short'

| Love Island star Olivia Hawkins talks about dealing with trolls and death threats, and her advice for future Islanders

- LAUREN FLETCHER

Olivia Hawkins was one of this year’s most controversial Love Island contestants, but while her feisty attitude hit a nerve with some viewers, others praised her honest, outspoken approach.

The 27-year-old former ring girl is no stranger to the world of showbiz, having appeared in music videos for Craig David and DJ Tom Zanetti, and has even worked as a body double for Our Girl star Michelle Keegan. But it was getting picked to be an Islander on the sun-soaked (if rather windswept) ITV2 show that really catapulted Olivia to fame.

After entering the South African villa in January, her road to romance was turbulent from the word go. Despite “vibing” with the likes Tom Clare, Haris Namani and Kai Fagan, it wasn’t until Casa Amor that she found her match in Maxwell Samuda.

The couple, who are still together, recently went on their first real date outside the villa.

Olivia found herself at the centre of plenty of drama during her time on the show, with some viewers branding her a “villain” and “fake”. For the first time ever, ITV bosses banned the Islanders from having active social media accounts while they were in the villa in a bid to protect them from the online trolling that past contestants and their families have endured.

The star believes the social media precaution was probably a good thing and, during our chat, admits it’s been tough dealing with the trolling – including vile death threats – she’s received since emerging into the real world, even if she does describe herself as a “strong girl”.