Alex Bowen shares Love Island nostalgia and insights on evolving the hit ITV show
It's been nearly a decade since Alex Bowen set foot in the iconic Love Island villa—but the 33-year-old reality star is still as invested in the hit ITV dating show as ever.
Alex, who rose to fame on Love Island's second series back in 2016, has been watching the current series closely—and he's got thoughts. Speaking exclusively to Mirror Online, the former Islander shared his nostalgia, behind-the-scenes memories, and what the show needs to do to keep viewers hooked.
'It's crazy to think it's been nearly ten years since I was in the villa,' Alex admits. 'I always feel nostalgic watching the show. So much has changed over the years, but that core feeling—the excitement, the drama, the relationships—it's all still there.'
Now happily married to fellow Love Island alum Olivia Bowen, with whom he shares a son, Alex's life has moved well beyond the villa. But as someone who found genuine love on the show, he's passionate about what the format still gets right—and what it could do better.
Since their time on Love Island, Alex and Olivia's relationship has blossomed into one of Love Island's biggest success stories. The couple married in 2018 and are now expecting their second child together. They already share a son called Abel, who was born in 2022.
'I think it's a really exciting series!' he says of the 2025 edition. 'Love Island have already shown so many fun twists and turns, and they introduced quite a few bombshells really early on. It feels like a fresh take, which has been great to see.'
One change Alex welcomes is the producers' plan to start filming mealtimes—an area viewers have traditionally not seen.
'Back when I was in there, we used to make our own breakfast,' he recalls. 'Lunch and dinner were brought in, and we weren't allowed to talk about villa drama while eating, in case cameras missed something good. Showing that now could definitely give fans more insight into the Islanders' personalities.'
As for villa life off-camera, Alex has some amusing memories—including the challenge of keeping track of laundry.
'We had laundry baskets for each person—but I used to lose my stuff all the time,' he laughs. 'We'd end up wearing each other's clothes without even realising!'
Despite the evolution of the series, Alex believes Love Island's success lies in sticking to what it does best.
'If it's not broken, don't fix it,' he says. 'People love Love Island for the excitement, the drama, and of course, the romance. The key is giving Islanders more time in the villa. Sometimes they get dumped too early, and we don't get a chance to see their journey or who they could connect with.'
He also backs the idea of bringing back past Islanders—particularly those who didn't get their full moment.
'There are so many great people from earlier series who didn't get enough time. It'd be amazing to see them back. They'd be more mature now, and it would bring a nice balance to the villa.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Love Island couple ordered to leave the villa just hours before ITV final
One Love Island couple are being voted out of the villa by their former islanders. As we gear up for the semi-final of one of the most explosive Love Island seasons yet, two more islanders are set to be ruthlessly dumped from the villa, as they are voted out by their former friends and rivals, who aren't holding back. One couple won't make it to the final of the show, as the latest teaser reveals a tense moment where all the previously dumped Islanders return to the villa for one last, game changing decision. The official Love Island account took to Instagram to share the short clip from Sunday evening's episode, alongside the caption: "First look! Ex-Islanders return for a savage dumping, and they're not holding back." Host Maya Jama appears to have returned to the villa one last time before she gets ready for the final, and is seen entering the villa to announce the latest twist. After a dramatic slow-motion walk into the villa, Maya shouts: "Hello, hello, hello. Are you alright my loves? How was the dates? Are you all loved up? Well I have some very important news. Can you come and join me on the lawn?" The remaining couples in the villa are Yas and Jamie, Cach and Toni, Harry and Shakira, Ty and Angel, and Meg and Dejon, the Mirror reports. Maya delivers the news: "Well today, one more couple will be dumped from the Love Island villa and that decision will be made by some very familiar faces." Among the returning islanders is Sophie Lee, who joined at the start of the series and became the first to be dumped on day two. Viewers will also see the return of Tommy who was once considered a frontrunner to win, before being dumped by Shakira. The teaser sent fans into a frenzy as they speculated which couple the dumped islanders would be giving the boot. One viewer wrote: "Sorry, but after Thursday and Friday, it's gotta be Meg and Dejon. Their time is up", while another simply stated: "Harry & Shakira.. your time is up!" A third shared their thoughts and penned: "For all the years of watching Love Island, it's my first time feeling this nervous about the finals. I swear my anxiety level is through the roof." A forth fan stated: "Do the right thing and only let Yas, Jamie, or Cach near that money for goodness sake," while another expressed: "I swear if Shakira, Toni, or Yaz go home, I might have to have some therapy sessions" Only time will tell who the dumped Islanders will vote for and which couple will say their goodbyes just a day before the final. Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX, and the final will air tomorrow (August 4) at 9pm.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Maura Higgins displays her toned physique in a summer minidress as she gives followers a glimpse of her lavish lifestyle
displays her toned physique in a summer minidress as she shared a glimpse of her lavish lifestyle in an Instagram post on Sunday. The former Love Island star, 34, stunned as she enjoyed a picnic in the sun while wearing an ivory and pink milkmaids dress. In a second image she looked happier than ever after pulling on a pair of thigh-skimming shorts and fedora hat for a bike ride. In another snap, Maura enjoyed a mint ice cream which posed with while wearing a ruffled dress in a similar colour. She also shared a glimpse of herself in more casual attire, including a bright pink T-shirt dress branded with the Love Island logo. The brunette later posed for a fun snap with her pals as they made funny faces for a photo collage. Alongside the snaps, she wrote: 'Previously on……' The post comes after Maura moved into her £1.25million five-bedroom 'dream house' in Essex. The TV personality, who has amassed an estimated £3.2million fortune from her TV appearances, took to Instagram earlier this month to share the news that she had finally moved in. Sharing the news she posted a picture of stunning black French doors looking on to a garden, with a huge bouquet of glowers in a vase, Ferrari sparkling wine and a Diptyque candle. 'After the busiest few months.... she's finally in,' the former Love Island star captioned the snap. Sharing another snap of the kitchen featuring her pal, celebrity hairdresser Carl Bembridge, she wrote: 'No chairs yet but he always finds something to sit on.' As a young woman in rural Ireland, Maura's future was set - stay in the town, marry her teenage boyfriend and open up a hair salon. 'But that's not what I wanted. That was not my dream. That was my father's and boyfriend's dream. I wanted to do more,' Maura previously defiantly declared. Maura also shared a glimpse of her in more casual wear as she wore a bright pink T-shirt dress which was branded with the Love Island logo The brunette beauty also posed for a fun snap with her pals as they made funny faces for a photo collage And leave Ireland she did, going on to star in two ITV reality shows, Love Island and most recently I'm A Celebrity, as well as taking on presenting duties. In her next big move, the girl from remote County Longford purchased her huge house in Essex. Her riches have allowed the presenter to upgrade from her previous one-bedroom property in Essex to one with an en-suite master bedroom with four further rooms. Overjoyed, Maura shared to her Instagram followers a picture of her new kitchen with a chandelier and grey floors, which she bought in October, with the caption 'Bought my dream house'. An expansive kitchen, with an island, leads out past the dining area, out bi-folding doors to a large walled garden with a neat lawn. Maura's previous home was raided by three-masked men and so the Love Island star has ensured her new home was in a gated development which provides privacy and security.
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Jack Osbourne's relatively unknown siblings as he returns to TV
Jack Osbourne's relatively unknown siblings as he returns to TV As the Osbourne family mourn the loss of their beloved husband and father, Ozzy Osbourne, we take a look at his relationships with his six children The Osbourne family is mourning the loss of their beloved patriarch, Ozzy Osbourne, who sadly passed away at the age of 76 on 22 July. The cause of death has not been confirmed, but it's known that the Black Sabbath frontman had been battling Parkinson's disease since February 2019, which significantly impacted his health in recent years. As they grapple with their loss, Ozzy's youngest son, Jack, is set to return to television just days after his father's passing, as he competes in the fifth series of ITV's celebrity cooking competition, Cooking with the Stars. The show, hosted by Emma Willis and Tom Allen, was pre-recorded before Ozzy's untimely death. Jack will compete against a host of celebrities including Love Island star Ekin-Su, EastEnders actress Natalie Cassidy and former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips. Each celebrity is paired with a culinary expert who guides them through each round. However, those with the lowest scores face a cook-off and receive no help from their mentors, who can only watch from the sidelines. In a cruel twist, the mentors of those in the bottom two will have to participate in a blind taste test to decide who progresses to the next round, potentially sending their own protege home. Jack Osbourne's five other siblings (Image: Getty) Sharon Osbourne breaks down in tears as she views tributes to Ozzy during procession READ MORE: Jack, a podcaster who is no stranger to television appearances, will feature on the show this Sunday, reports the Express. Throughout Ozzy's life, unbeknownst to many, the rockstar actually fathered six children, meaning that Jack has five other siblings - not just Kelly, who is widely recognised as his sister from their time together on MTV's At Home with the Osbournes. Before Sharon and Ozzy tied the knot, the Black Sabbath legend had been previously married. He met his first wife Thelma Riley in a Birmingham nightclub before they exchanged vows and welcomed two biological children together, Jessica, 53, and Louis, 50. Sharon and Ozzy are parents to Aimee, Kelly and Jack (Image: Getty) Thelma was also the mother of five year old Elliot from a previous relationship when she met the lead singer. Ozzy would later adopt Elliot and raise him as his own. However, the three children do not have fond childhood memories with their daredevil father and in a 2011 documentary (produced by Jack Osbourne) when Ozzy is asked about Louis and Jessica's birthdays, he fails to remember when each of them were born. In the same series, Louis revealed details about growing up with Ozzy: "When he was around and he wasn't [drunk], he was a great father. But that was kind of rare, really. I just have a lot of memories of him being drunk, random s**t like driving cars across fields and crashing them in the middle of the night and stuff like that. "It's not good for family life, really," he explained in the documentary. His elder sister, Jessica also remarked: "I don't remember being put to bed or having a bath by dad or anything like that. I wouldn't say he was there for us, no, never on sports day, school trip, parents' evening. He wasn't like that, no." The Osbourne family is actually much bigger than most would think (Image: Getty) In 1982, Ozzy and Thelma divorced and that same year he wed Sharon, who was his manager at the time. Twelve months later, they had their first daughter Aimee on September 2nd 1983, followed by their second daughter Kelly on October 27, 1984. They eventually had their youngest child, Jack on November 8, 1985. Whilst many admirers know two of Sharon and Ozzy's offspring - Jack and Kelly - Aimee chose to stay out of the spotlight when the former X Factor panellist decided to allow MTV's cameras into her house. Refusing to participate in filming, she left the family residence in the early 2000s to follow her own musical ambitions, performing under her initials ARO. In a previous chat with the Independent, she looked back on her choice to step away. She confessed to the magazine: "Back then, I still felt I was trying to figure out who I was in the chaos of family life, so why on earth would I want that portrayed on television? I wanted to protect myself, my parents, my siblings, too. They were very young, very impressionable." In a 2008 interview with the same publication, Aimee defended her decision, saying: "I'm not some weirdo depressed daughter that's afraid of the world and locks herself in her room all day. I just didn't choose to do the show. I want to be a singer, and I felt if I'd stayed with the Osbournes and done the whole thing I would have been typecast right away. "[Sharon] was hurt, and we definitely had a tough time with disagreements. I'm more reserved and my private life is very important." Article continues below In 2021, it emerged that Sharon's two daughters were actually estranged from one another. Discussing her relationship with Aimee on the Dax Shepard podcast, Kelly admitted: "We don't talk. We're just really different. She doesn't understand me and I don't understand her." Despite the tension between the two sisters, it appears that Aimee has a much stronger bond with her younger brother Jack, as they both co-run the production company Osbourne Media together. Cooking with the Stars kicks off on Sunday, August 3 at 8pm on ITV1.
