Reality television personality Olivia Bowen has publicly expressed doubts about her planned family relocation to Spain, citing the current heavy global atmosphere and her deep concerns for everyone. The former Love Island contestant, aged thirty-two, is also seriously considering homeschooling her eldest child, three-year-old son Abel, as he approaches school age this year.
Weighing a Life Abroad Against Worldly Anxieties
Sharing a candid statement on her Instagram Stories, Olivia Bowen penned her internal conflict. 'Everyday I wake up thinking about moving our life to Spain for the kids, and for us obviously,' she wrote. 'I wake up thinking about homeschooling too. With Abel due to start school this year, a lot doesn't sit right. Everything is so heavy at the moment.'
She elaborated that this pervasive worry has even impacted her online activity. The star, who shares Abel and six-month-old daughter Siena with husband Alex Bowen, her partner from the 2016 series of Love Island, acknowledged that the idea of an overseas lifestyle change has been discussed for years. However, it has become a more frequent topic of conversation in recent months.
An Escape or a Genuine Desire?
Olivia Bowen questioned her own motivations in a follow-up post, wondering if the desire to move is authentic or merely an attempt to flee from constant global anxieties. 'I can't work out whether it's because I genuinely do want to move or, I'm trying to escape the feeling of constant worry about the world,' she mused, while humorously noting she wouldn't be 'moving planets.' She also directly appealed to followers with experience of moving to the Marbella area with young children for advice.
The television personality later shared a second update, thanking her fans for an overwhelming and positive response. She revealed that she and her family are embarking on the preliminary stages of the potential move later this year. 'We are starting the journey this year looking into areas, visas, schools etc so there's lots of research to be done,' Olivia wrote. Their plan involves spending significant time in Spain to test the waters, with an ideal scenario of maintaining a smaller UK property while establishing their primary life abroad.
A Harrowing Birth Experience Lingers
This period of reflection on family and future comes in the wake of a traumatic medical event for Olivia Bowen. Last year, she nearly died after losing a life-threatening amount of blood during the Caesarean section birth of her daughter Siena. During their reality show, Olivia and Alex: Parenthood, she detailed the terrifying ordeal.
After a planned home birth stalled due to a prolapsed bladder obstructing the baby's exit, an emergency transfer to hospital was required. Following the C-section, Olivia began hemorrhaging severely. 'The nurse started calling out how much blood I was losing... it was going up and up quickly and the fear sunk in really quickly, it was really scary,' she recounted. She ultimately lost 2.8 litres of blood, coming perilously close to fatal blood loss.
Gratitude and a Changed Perspective
Breaking down in tears during the documentary, Olivia recalled hearing medical staff declare a major hemorrhage before losing consciousness. She expressed profound gratitude to the NHS staff who saved her life, stating they were 'absolutely incredible.' The experience left her with a lengthy and difficult recovery but also a transformed outlook. 'It just made me not give a shit what happened because I'm here and she is here. I feel so lucky,' she said.
Interestingly, Olivia revealed that while she feels she has processed the traumatic birth, her husband Alex was left deeply traumatised by the event, calling it the worst thing he has ever witnessed. Despite the fear, Olivia also described feeling empowered and more connected to her femininity through the experience of preparing for motherhood.
As Olivia Bowen navigates this confluence of past trauma, present anxiety, and future planning for her young family, her public deliberations highlight the personal struggles many face when balancing lifestyle dreams with the weight of contemporary global concerns and the profound responsibilities of parenthood.
