Love Island contestant Olivia Hawkins has opened up about how women are treated differently from men on the hit ITV2 show.
The 27 year old former ring girl and actress believes there is a double standard in the way viewers react to the girls in the villa compared to the boys.
Olivia has spoken out about the way women are treated differently on the show
In an exclusive chat with HOAR, Olivia said: “People aren’t used to women going on the show and exploring their options, yet if a guy does it, it’s seen as funny.
“Men get praised or called a player, but women aren’t allowed to. It’s misogyny. Women are held to a different standard.”
Liv experienced an intense backlash when she left the villa and she admits she is protective of any islanders from this series who may experience the same.
“I wouldn’t wish that villain label on anyone. Having that label for me, it was really not nice. I don’t want anyone to go through that. I am here for anyone who might get that label if they want to talk.”
Despite the vitriol she received though, Olivia admits she would definitely be up for returning to the villa should the long-rumoured all-stars series go ahead.
“I haven’t been asked but I would love to do it,” she smiles. “I would definitely go back on there if they asked me to, as long as I was single at the time.”
Currently unattached, Olivia hasn’t been dating since she split from Maxwell Samuda just weeks after leaving the villa.
The pair went their separate ways after Maxwell went on a boys’ holiday to Mexico.
“Maxwell and I haven’t spoken since he came back from Mexico,” she admits. “We didn’t end on any bad blood, we are still civil. Are we friends? No, I wouldn’t say we are, but everything happens for a reason.”
Asked whether she thought he may have cheated on her, she responds: “He didn’t cheat. We were never official, but there were definitely instances that I wasn’t happy with in Mexico.
“I won’t go into too much detail but I couldn’t trust him, for sure. He is a lovely guy and I do wish him all the best. Maybe it was an age thing.”
Olivia recently spoke out in defence of Molly Marsh, who has copped some online anger this week after flirting with Zach Noble.
“I really feel for Molly. I don’t think she has done anything wrong.
“Maybe she could have gone about certain situations differently, but I relate to her because she has been getting to know a few people, and I was in quite a few couples in there. It’s hard.”
She added: “I think the biggest thing Molly did wrong was not telling Catherine about Zach, but it’s early days. Loyalites in there are really intense, but then you forget you have only known each other for a week.”
