When Olivia Attwood signed up for ITV reality sports show The Games, she hoped to win a medal or two and perhaps make some new friends along the way.
The presenter joined the likes of Christine McGuinness, the much-loved former Strictly star Kevin Clifton and fellow Love Island contestant Wes Nelson for the televised extravaganza, which saw her undergo gruelling training for activities such as athletics, swimming, water-ski jumping and cycling.
Sadly, Olivia, 34, didn’t have the most enjoyable time as she struggled to win any points and finished last from bottom in 11th place.
To make matters worse, she injured her shoulder on the show while cycling at the velodrome in Stratford, east London.
There was, though, something which did bring a smile to the face of the star – who catapulted to fame in the 2017 series of Love Island – a friendship with one of her co-stars, singer and actor Max George.
I’m told the two found they were kindred spirits as they competed together on the 2022 edition of the series.
At the time, Olivia was engaged to her footballer husband-to-be Brad Dack, while Max, 36 – who rose to fame with the now defunct boyband The Wanted – had recently split from his long-term girlfriend Stacey Giggs, former wife of Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs.
Former Love Island contestant Olivia Attwood struggled to win points in The Games and eventually finished 11th place
It was a tough time for Max, as his close friend and The Wanted bandmate Tom Parker had only recently passed away following a brain tumour.
Sources tell me that Olivia and Brad’s long-running romance has ‘had its ups and downs’ since they first met in 2015. But that, despite her athletic failings, taking part in the show gave Olivia a real personal boost.
My spies working on The Games told me that Olivia and Max were often seen deep in conversation and were very much ‘partners in crime’ while they filmed at various locations in London.
‘Olivia and Max were really close,’ said one insider. ‘They would often be seen giggling together and were hugely supportive of each other when it came to the sporting events.
‘Olivia was out of her comfort zone [with The Games]. She is usually so confident but this was different.
‘Olivia struggled, but Max was there to keep her smiling and champion her. Max had just come out of a two-year relationship with Stacey and [the break-up had been] hard, these things always are.
I’m also told that Olivia and Max were seen ‘having a great time together’ at the end-of-filming ‘wrap’ party. Former Coronation Street actor Ryan Thomas and newsreader Lucrezia Millarini were among the guests.
Max George from The Wanted competed on the game show with Olivia in 2022. An insider said they ‘were really close’ on the set
Sources suggest that Olivia and Max didn’t stay in ‘much contact’ after the show ended – and pursued their own separate romances. Olivia married Brad one year later, while Max went on to date former EastEnders actress Maisie Smith.
But Olivia’s love life became a hot topic of conversation once again last week when pictures emerged of her with Kiss Radio co-host Pete Wicks while they were on a working holiday in Ibiza.
The snaps were shared by Brad’s teammates at League Two side Gillingham FC on their WhatsApp group.
Unfortunately, Brad is said to have been furious at the photos, which showed Pete up close and personal with Olivia and with his arm around her waist during a five-day ‘bender’.
In fact, according to a source, the photos ‘landed former Love Island star Olivia well and truly in the dog house with her husband’.
Three weeks before the Ibiza trip, Olivia had seemed to hint at tension in her marriage. She told fans gathered at the launch of her hit television show Bad Boyfriends that, ‘I’ve been a bad girlfriend, I could be on Bad Wives!’
The photo that made Olivia’s husband Brad furious – star with Pete Wicks on a five-day ‘bender’ in Formentera, Spain
Sources tell Katie Hind that Olivia and Brad Dack’s relationship has ‘had its ups and downs’ since they met in 2015
According to insiders, the good news is that Brad was ‘quite understanding’ of his wife’s behaviour on Ibiza, even though Pete is known as something of a ladies’ man, having dated the likes of Maura Higgins, Megan McKenna and Megan Barton-Hanson since he shot to fame on TOWIE in 2015.
Both Olivia and Pete’s camps have forcefully denied that anything untoward happened between the pair, although some fans wondered – especially as she’s been seen without her wedding ring in recent days.
A pal of Olivia’s was absolutely clear that there is ‘nothing is going on between Liv and Pete’, saying: ‘they’re friends, it’s completely ridiculous to say otherwise… Olivia and Bradley are happily married’.
And Olivia herself has insisted that all was well in her marriage. When she captioned a recent Instagram post filled with wild Ibiza snaps: ‘Off the rails’, a fan commented: ‘I’m worried about your marriage.’
But she replied: ‘Don’t be. Worry about yours.’
Brad and Olivia, who married at the five-star Bulgari Hotel in Knightsbridge in 2023, put on a show of unity this week.
Brad was at his wife’s side on Monday as she launched series two of her ITV2 show Bad Boyfriends with a screening in London. Husband and wife were seen greeting guests at the event.
‘Olivia and Brad have had some difficulties like every other couple,’ said a source. ‘Everyone hopes they can pull through.’
‘If not, she knows where Max’s shoulder is to cry on.’
