It’s been a busy few weeks for Olivia and Alex Bowen, who have finally moved into the luxurious new house they’ve spent six months building. The doting parents of two-year-old Abel, who met on Love Island eight years ago, are also thinking of extending their family in the new home.
However, Olivia admits to OK! that she’s “scared” after a tough 30-hour labour with their firstborn. “If I was to have another baby, I think I’d elect for a C-section,” Olivia, 30, tells us. “I’m so scared to go through that again because I think I’ll have the worst anxiety about giving birth. I don’t trust that it will go how I want it to go, so I guess it’s about having some control. I have this thing that I always want to prove to myself that I can do it, but I don’t know if I want to risk that again.”
While the fear of giving birth weighs on Olivia, she says having a second child is “always on their minds”. “We think we want two but we’re unsure, it’s such a big decision. We love Abel so much and I love putting all my energy into him, but I do want a sibling [for him].” With Abel recently celebrating his second birthday it won’t be long until he starts nursery and Olivia adds, “I’m sure I’ll be really sad and want another one at that point.”
Olivia loves that she and Alex live a more ‘chilled life’ these days
In the meantime, she is thrilled to be getting her baby cuddle fix from her new nephew as she proudly announces she’s officially become an auntie!
The Bowens, who tied the knot in 2018, have come a long way since their time on Love Island in 2016 and never imagined they would be where they are today. “I did not think me and Alex would get married and have a child when we were on Love Island,” Olivia candidly tells us. “Love Island is so different from when we were in there, we didn’t have Casa Amor or Movie Night… we got lucky with that!”
Marking their sixth wedding anniversary this year, Olivia says, “We look back at when we married and think, ‘We were kids!’ We felt so grown up, but I was 24, we were so young. “We’re very happy, living a more chilled life and it’s really nice.”
But with any marriage, Olivia admits they “always bicker” over small things but caveats it with, “If the arguments are over something silly like the dishwasher, then you’ve really got nothing to worry about. I’m really stubborn, but Alex knows how to deal with it. He will always be the one to say sorry first because I’m so stubborn. We’re still the same people, we still laugh at the same things and we get on so well.”
Doting father Alex was ‘destined to be a dad’, says Olivia
Alex, 32, adds, “I’m pretty easy going, which is good, it means we work well together. If we are bickering quite a lot, we know that getting our own space can be really helpful. It can be something simple like me going to the gym and just taking myself away. If we’re honest, though, we know every couple bickers! It’s always the little things, but that’s just life – you gain perspective and just learn from it.”
And Alex couldn’t be a better father to Abel, Olivia says. “He was always destined to be a dad. He didn’t have his dad when he was younger so I think it’s made him feel like he really wants to prove himself in that way, which he absolutely has. He’s so good with him, he’s really fun and will really take the time with him.”
“Fatherhood has taught me to be a lot more patient,” Alex agrees. “You have to just take a breath and enjoy the moment for what it is. I’d also say it’s taught me to be more organised – I can’t just do what I want, when I want any more, so it’s a case of being prepared and planning ahead so Liv and I try for a little balance.”
Olivia never imagined during Love Island that she and Alex would end up getting married and starting a family
(Image: JAMES RUDLAND)
Olivia has previously been very open about her mental health and, at times, has suffered crippling anxiety. She shares with us how becoming a mum impacted her mentally. “I really struggled to accept the fact that I was a mum at first, I just wasn’t ready to let go of the original Olivia. But then you have to realise that it’s a better version of yourself and you’re still there in some ways.
“I’m someone who doesn’t like to ask for help, I always want to do things on my own, but since becoming a mum, I’ve learnt to ask for help. I think that’s made me cope better with anxiety and depression, having the ability to say to someone ‘I need you right now’. When things get too much – that’s been a life saver.”
The Bowens moved into their gorgeous new home in June and designed every interior detail, which has been documented on their Bowen Home Instagram account. “It’s amazing, we’re so happy that we moved,” Olivia says. “I think for a while people felt were we’re a bit crazy leaving our old house, but we had so many reasons why it was the right move for us. We’re so happy being more in town, being able to walk to parks, go to restaurants and take Abel out.”
(Image: JAMES RUDLAND)
Taking the safety of Abel into consideration for their move, she shares, “Where we were before, it was on a main road, there were no pathways, you couldn’t get anywhere, it was quite a dangerous road and very loud. All the things that didn’t bother us when we were just a couple started to bother us when we became a family. It’s such a different way to live when you have a child.”
Olivia, who “absolutely adores” interior design, curated their kitchen, bathrooms and all the rooms into an idyllic space with antique brass details, up-cycled furniture and a stunning country kitchen. While there are little touches to finish around their pad, Olivia says they’re taking it a “bit slower” so they can enjoy living in their new home.
“This home is probably the best house that we’ve lived in,” Alex says. “We’ve been able to build it from scratch and so we’ve had our say on pretty much everything in the house. Liv obviously designed it all because she’s smashing it with the interiors side at the minute. And I feel like, over the years, all the properties that we’ve had, we’ve kind of found out what we like and dislike. It’s been great to be able to put that into practice. We’ve found our little niche. We’re delighted with it.”
You can follow Olivia on @oliviadbowen & @thebowenhome
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