- Lifestyle
- Health & Families
The former Love Islanders tell Lisa Salmon about their ‘golden’ children and how they’re supporting the Let’s Move! campaign to get kids active.
Lisa SalmonThursday 04 December 2025 10:23 GMT
open image in galleryGetting kids moving:Olivia and Alex Bowen with their baby Siena (DCMS/PA)
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As the parents of a new baby and a toddler, you could forgive Alex and Olivia Bowen for feeling a little frazzled and worn out.
But although the couple, who met on ITV’s Love Island in 2016, admit parenting three-and-a-half-year-old Abel and three-month-old Siena can be “hard work”, they both agree it’s getting better and better.
“It’s hard work, there’s no two ways about it,” says Olivia, 31. “It’s a difficult job, and it’s hard when you’ve got two, especially when they’re such different ages.”
Breaking off to point out affectionately: “Siena’s smiling at me, laughing at me while I’m talking,” she continues: “But it’s just the little moments that make everything worth it – you might have a hard day, and then you see their little faces, and it’s just worth every minute.”
And Alex, 34, adds: “Don’t get me wrong, sometimes it can be difficult, like when Abel’s running around and you’re trying to do some housework or make food, and you’ve got to look after the baby as well if Liv’s popped out. That’s been the most difficult thing.
“But seeing their faces light up, or Abel just doing something really cute – it just gets better every day.”
And part of the reason the pair are so enamoured with parenting (as well as each other) is because their two little ones are so good, Alex explains.
“I don’t want to jinx it, but Siena has been absolutely golden – she’s sleeping amazing, and she’s just really happy,” says the proud dad.
“From Abel’s perspective, it’s been a bit more of a difficult transition, because he’s still only three years old and he’s trying to control his emotions, It’s always just been me, him and Liv and then to have another baby in the mix, he’s had to adapt, but he’s been absolutely golden too.”
Olivia observes: “It’s been a learning curve for us all really, hasn’t it?”
“That’s the best part,” declares her husband.
After nine years together, seven of them married, Alex and Olivia are Love Island’s longest-surviving relationship. Alex was a scaffolder before he took part in the series, and after making the most of their new-found fame through brand endorsements and public appearances, plus modelling and TV presenting for former sales executive Olivia, fitness fanatic Alex has started his own fitness coaching business.
And it’s that love of fitness, which is shared by Olivia, that prompted the couple to champion the Department of Culture, Media and Sport campaign Let’s Move! to get children more physically active.
The campaign, which is supported by Sport England and well-known fitness names including gymnasts Max Whitlock and Beth Tweddle and fitness coach Joe Wicks, aims to help parents discover simple, fun, and pressure-free ways to build movement into daily life, starting with just 10-minute bursts of activity.
Olivia is particularly enjoying the 10-minute activities, explaining: “These short bursts have been really good for me, because I hadn’t worked out in a while after having the baby.”
And Alex adds: “Fitness has always been a massive part of my life, so having my son and my daughter when she can actually run around, being active, is a step in the right direction. And with Liv just coming out of pregnancy and birth, she’s just getting back into the swing of things and fitness.”
Olivia only had Siena three months ago, via an emergency C-section during which she haemorrhaged and had two blood transfusions after losing a life-threatening three litres of blood, and she says: “It was a bit of a whirlwind, and the recovery has been quite difficult – I just have not been myself. But I’m definitely starting to feel better now – it’s just been a bit of a long road.”
But she’s gradually stepping up her fitness, going to the gym, and doing “run-walks” when she can, as well as the 10-minute bursts of activity with her kids. “Because I had a C-section it’s quite difficult to get back straight away – you just have absolutely no stomach strength at all,” she explains.
“But I’ve really loved getting back into it, I’ve missed it so much. Me and Alex both know how much it helps our mental health and how much happier moving makes us.”
Although she couldn’t physically work out after having Siena, Olivia got virtually no time off from her media work, filming the reality ITVX show Olivia and Alex: Parenthood, which gave an intimate insight into the family’s home life, just days before and after the birth.
“It’s been a little bit more difficult this time round,” she says, “because I haven’t really had a maternity leave. We were filming our show Parenthood until about two days before I gave birth, and then about five days after. So it’s just been crazy.
“It’s been quite a challenge. Abel took a bottle at two weeks old, but Siena is categorically not taking a bottle, so I’ve been exclusively breastfeeding her, which means she’s coming to all of our work.”
But Olivia’s post-partum limitations and baby care certainly hasn’t stopped her eldest child in his tracks, and pointing out that Sport England research shows more than half of children aren’t getting the recommended 60 minutes of daily activity, she says: “Abel is super-active, and we’re very active parents as well, so to be able to promote and talk to other parents about keeping their kids nice and active feels really important,
“Obviously we understand as parents that it’s so hard to get out and about, so it’s just about trying to teach parents and their kids how to get active in easy and accessible ways – whether that’s in your garden, or making up games in your lounge, so everyone can get involved and gradually work their way up to the 60 minutes a day.”
And Alex suggests: “You can use household stuff for that – you haven’t got to go out and buy things. It’s all stuff you’ve already got anyway.”
Because little Abel is so lively, instead of him just running around “for no point”, Alex and Olivia play games with him, ranging from simple hide-and-seek to them all trying to throw teddies in a bucket, or simply dancing round the living room.
But Alex stresses that such activities don’t just benefit the child, explaining: “It’s also getting the parents interacting with their kids a bit more. As parents, we know we can get busy, and you leave your kids to their own devices sometimes, playing around, but it’s great to get involved with their active play as well.
“It gives you an excuse to play with your kids, and that can increase the bond with them.”
Clearly the couple are loving being a mum and dad – so does that mean they’ll have more kids?
“No!” says Olivia decisively. And it’s definitely a joint decision – Alex emphatically adds: “No, we’re not having any more – I didn’t even have to think about that!”
Olivia and Alex Bowen are backing the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Let’s Move! campaign, supported by Sport England, helping parents discover simple, fun, and pressure-free ways to build movement into daily life.
