Olivia Attwood has revealed the exact moment Pete Wicks started falling for her, and it came shortly after she split from her husband, footballer Bradley Dack.
Timing of the confession
The pair called time on their romance following an alleged "breach of trust" on Bradley's side, which he has yet to comment on. And despite fans of the couple witnessing them "marry" on her ITV show, it later emerged that their marriage was never legally binding, even though it was a staggering ceremony at the Bulgari Hotel in London.
Not long after the breakdown of her relationship, Love Island star Olivia was linked to The Only Way Is Essex's Pete Wicks, after the pair were spotted at a hotel in Manchester following the BRIT Awards, held at the Co-Op Live.
Olivia's account of the relationship
Speaking about her relationship with Pete, Olivia said: "After I split from my ex, we started spending more time together, and he's [Pete] now confessed to me that he started to feel romantically towards me, whenever that started for him."
Discussing their relationship on the Off The Vine podcast, she told host Kaitlyn Bristowe: "He shared that with me quite soon after that split." However, Olivia disclosed that it took her some time to process the news following the breakdown of her long-term relationship.
"And I kept him [Pete] at arm's length for a hot minute, but I knew straight away we had a connection that I hadn't been aware of," she later added. However, Olivia said that there's no "right way" for her current relationship to have played out, explaining: "People really love to get on their high horse and be like 'You should be single after that'.
"For me, I love love. I feel like we are only here one time, we only get one go around. I have this connection with this friend, we are falling in love with each other, I'm not going to put it on ice because it doesn't follow the format that people expect you to follow."
Reactions and future plans
She is, however, aware that her relationship with Pete "ruffled some feathers," but she shrugged off others' comments. She admitted that her relationship with Pete is the "easiest thing" she's ever done.
It comes after Pete disclosed that he and Olivia will not be getting married in the near future. Speaking to Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston on Heart, when asked the wedding question, he said: "Not anytime soon."
Expanding on why their relationship works, Pete continued: "No, Liv and I have known each other for a long time. It's amazing, she's like one of my best friends but also someone I really fancy."
The pair made their red-carpet debut at the National Television Awards earlier this month and shared a kiss in front of onlookers. Last month, they "hard-launched" their relationship, with a string of loved-up pictures shared on Instagram.
One picture showed her wrapping her arms around Pete's neck, as he rested his own hands on her waist and bum as they locked lips. Another image showed Pete with his arms around Olivia as he planted a kiss on her cheek while she gazed towards the camera.
