It's time to meet the 8 couples participating in ITV2's newest reality TV show, Olivia Attwood's Bad Boyfriends.
Badly behaved boyfriends, cheaters and DM-sliders beware as presenter and podcaster Olivia Attwood is coming for you in a brand new explosive reality format for ITV2.
Flown to a Greek island under the premise of filming a series about manhood and bromance in a hedonistic holiday mecca, eight unsuspecting bad boyfriends will get the shock of their lives when Olivia Atwood appears to announce their wild partying days are on hold and to reveal the true purpose of the show.
She's there to whip them all into better boyfriend shape. All at the behest of their long-suffering girlfriends, whose surprise, dramatic arrivals cause mayhem. But Olivia has her work cut out attempting to reform this wayward bunch of boys from serial cheaters and lazy lovers, to commitment-phobes and man-children, it’s time to shape up or ship out.
Across 11 episodes, the boys will compete in a series of challenges, designed to rectify their ways and battle it out to become the most improved boyfriend.
Expect tough love, lots of humour and plenty of mischief, alongside unexpected revelations and explosive scenes along the way. Can the couples get back on track with Olivia’s help? And how will the girlfriends react when the spotlight is turned on them?
There will be eliminations across the series as the least improved boyfriends deemed incapable of improving are voted out, resulting in one boy being crowned the most improved boyfriend but left facing a huge dilemma.
It's time to meet the girlfriends and their bad boyfriends...
Anna & Eli
24, Leeds, Sales Manager | 43, Leeds, CEO of a Supercar Dealership
How does it feel to be a part of Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends?
Anna: It’s really exciting. A new experience for me and there’s never been a show like this so I’m excited to be a part of it.
Eli: I’m excited but of course apprehensive, I’ve never been on TV like this before, I haven’t been in the spotlight so it’s a very new experience. I went for the opportunity though and I’m glad I did it. I like to try new things and I threw myself into it wholeheartedly.
Why did you decide to put your boyfriend forward for the programme?
Anna: I put Eli forward because he constantly says the wrong thing and puts his foot in it, and without realising that can affect my confidence. His social media etiquette isn’t the best with Instagram DMs, liking, watching videos and even sending me videos of other girls.
How did you feel when you learned the true purpose of the show?
Eli: You will see when you watch it, we were all standing in absolute shock. Olivia walked in and none of us really grasped what was happening and couldn’t quite believe it. We had a few suspicions something might happen but never in our wildest dreams did we think it would be that. It was mind blowing. Of course I missed Anna so it was nice to see her but the twist, I didn’t see that coming.
How would you describe your relationship at the start of the experience?
Anna: We’re very, very in love but it’s quite fiery as well. It’s very intense in that we’re all over each other all the time and super in love but then when we argue, we really argue. It’s fiery and passionate!
Eli: It was great, we’ve always had a rock solid relationship and I was gutted to be leaving her and I think she felt the same. We hadn’t spent time apart since moving in so it was a big step to spend nights away from her.
Anya & Bayley
28, Surrey, Salon Owner | 26, Surrey, Operations Manager
How does it feel to be a part of Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends?
Anya: It’s exciting! We’ve gained a lot from the experience and we're now in a better place. There were so many highs and lows.
Bayley: I’m excited. I really like the concept of it - obviously I didn’t at the start but I’ve got to accept that and it’s about going through the steps that Olivia has planned out for us.
Why did you decide to put your boyfriend forward for the programme?
Anya: He was on his last chance and something needed to change. He needed to realise that he was in the wrong sometimes. He needed to take accountability for his actions and realise what he had put me through.
How did you feel when you learned the true purpose of the show?
Bayley: I wanted a hole to swallow me up [laughs]! From the antics that happened on the first night out, I thought there would be a few twists but I did not expect them to put our girlfriends on the night out. I was in shock, Anya wouldn’t even look me in the eyes so I knew I was in trouble!
How would you describe your relationship at the start of the experience?
Anya: He was careless, heartless and didn’t give a f***.
Bayley: We had a good relationship but I don’t feel like the trust was there on her side because of the things I’ve done previously. I’d lie quite a lot and I don’t think I thought about how she felt in situations. Things that I thought were small things, we’re really big in her eyes. I thought we were good but we obviously weren’t great because that’s why I ended up on the show. It’s been a blessing in disguise.
Carly & Tom J
23, Rotherham, Content Creator | 25, Barnsley, Bricklayer/Labourer
How does it feel to be a part of Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends?
Carly: I found it a really good experience. A lot of people struggled in the sense that they were separate from their boyfriends but I took it all in my stride. I knew it was for a good reason and we would come out stronger so I took in my stride and trusted in the process.
Tom J: I’m buzzing for it to come out, really excited by it.
Why did you decide to put your boyfriend forward for the programme?
Carly: I felt like we were just a little bit stagnant and needed to push past our boundaries. It was the perfect opportunity to do that. I said to Tom before we did it ‘would you ever consider therapy?’ and then this popped up. Sometimes you need a third person to listen to your conversations and this gave us that opportunity.
How did you feel when you learned the true purpose of the show?
Tom J: I was like ‘what is going on? Wow, what have we got ourselves into?’
How would you describe your relationship at the start of the experience?
Carly: Fun but maybe unpredictable, not stable.
Tom J: We were alright but I hadn’t opened up to her as much as I have done since coming out of the show.
Jordi & Sam
28, Manchester, Gym Brand Owner | 31, Manchester, Roofer
How does it feel to be a part of Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends?
Jordi: It’s quite new to me. It’s a bit nerve-wracking but exciting at the same time.
Sam: It’s exciting but with a few nerves! At the end of the day it brought me and my girlfriend closer together.
Why did you decide to put your boyfriend forward for the programme?
Jordi: I think it was a last resort because we’ve tried everything. We know we want to be together but there were so many issues that needed to be solved before taking the next step. The last resort to see what happens and hopefully make our relationship better.
How did you feel when you learned the true purpose of the show?
Sam: I'm one of them who doesn’t like speaking out, I run away from my problems and I always have done. I didn’t have a clue what was going on. If I knew what the show was then I probably wouldn’t have done it because I don’t like opening up. But because I was put in that position to open up and talk about my feelings then it’s made me a better person and I did enjoy it.
How would you describe your relationship at the start of the experience?
Jordi: I had a lot of trust issues - I didn’t trust Sam at all. He wasn’t romantic or anything and never made me feel special. We were still like best friends and would spend a lot of time together and we did have fun together but the serious side of it was lacking. For me wanting to take the next step and get engaged and having kids like that, I wasn’t able to take that next step while it was lacking in those things.
Sam: Me and Jordi were good but about two months before that we were talking about whether we were right for each other and we were going through a rocky patch. We couldn’t sort out what was going wrong in the relationship because I didn’t talk and open up.
Lana & Tom T
23, Bromley, Merchandiser | 25, Bromley, Roofer
How does it feel to be a part of Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends?
Lana: It feels very new and exciting. It’s an adventure because I don’t know what to expect. I’m really grateful for the opportunity.
Tom T: It feels amazing to be honest. It’s something I didn’t really ever expect but I’m so proud to be a part of the show. It’s made my family really proud and friends as well. That’s what I want to do at the end of the day - make people proud - and I feel like I’ve done that by taking part in the show.
Why did you decide to put your boyfriend forward for the programme?
Lana: I decided to put Tom up for the programme because he is lazy around the house. I feel like I am another mother to him. Me and his mum are done having to pick up his boxers. I am done with making breakfast, lunch and dinner every time I see him. I would love him to make me a roast dinner and not have to help!
How did you feel when you learned the true purpose of the show?
Tom T: I’ll be real, I am a very good boyfriend but I understand that there were things I needed to improve on. I took it with a pinch of salt. My first reaction was that I was definitely shocked. I had so much fun.
How would you describe your relationship at the start of the experience?
Lana: I feel like we were close and always have been and we’re best friends. This was a great opportunity to improve our relationship and for him to know to stop being lazy and if we’re going to have a future, you’ve got to stop being a boy and be a man.
Tom T: Our relationship was really good, we were really strong. No relationship is ever perfect though so there was stuff we could improve on. We were so happy and fun. We say that we’re soul mates. We get on so well and have so much bants. She’s my bestest friend.
Ruben & Liily
27, Dublin, Car Salesman | 26, Brazil (Now lives in Dublin), Studying to be a PT
How does it feel to be a part of Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends?
Liily: It’s actually a huge experience for me. It’s so different and so new.
Ruben: Originally it felt great until we found out what the show really was - that was a bit of a hard adjustment. But after everything it was really helpful and I’m really happy to have been a part of it. I’m grateful I had the chance to go through the experience.
Why did you decide to put your boyfriend forward for the programme?
Liily: It’s not that he’s a terrible boyfriend but I did feel like we had a lot to work on. I thought we had one issue going in - Ruben being flirty - but it turns out the real issue was communication.
How did you feel when you learned the true purpose of the show?
Ruben: When the ball dropped, I thought I’m going home. It took a while to get used to the idea of being a ‘bad boyfriend’ but I’m happy that I didn’t leave early.
How would you describe your relationship at the start of the experience?
Liily: At the start I did trust him but not fully. I felt like Ruben still needed attention from other women. It turned out that we didn’t communicate properly
Ruben: Honestly, I did not think it was that bad before the experience but it did highlight one or two issues that we had. It helped us address some issues that we didn’t realise were there.
Ryan & Sapphia
28, North West London, Music Producer | 30, West London, Financial Recruitment
How does it feel to be a part of Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends?
Ryan: It feels good to be a part of this brand-new show. I was at first quite surprised that I was brought on the show but as you go on and watch, you’ll see I’ve come to a realisation of why I’m there.
Sapphia: It feels really exciting because I feel like not only did it improve our relationship, it also helped me look at what I’m doing and what I can do better. I had the best time when I was there and I can’t wait to watch it back.
Why did you decide to put your boyfriend forward for the programme?
Sapphia: I decided to put Ryan forward for the programme for two reasons. One is that we’re engaged and he has lots of things he needs to sort out before we get married. We live together, he doesn’t help with the housework. I don’t think he realises that bills need to be paid - he just goes off vibes and enjoys his life. He’s a massive flirt and that needs to stop before we get married.
How did you feel when you learned the true purpose of the show?
Ryan: I was surprised. I was smiling and laughing but that is something I do when I’m nervous. I’m an engaged man and I didn’t feel like there was anything particularly wrong in our relationship.
How would you describe your relationship at the start of the experience?
Ryan: My relationship is fun, bubbly and happy with plenty of laughs. I couldn’t have pinpointed any major issues.
Sapphia: I would say before the experience our relationship was good - we love each other a lot and we are best friends but there was so much we needed to work on before it started to get too toxic. The way we would argue and disrespect each other, we both had not very nice things to say to each other in an argument. It was getting a bit toxic.
Viktor & Maria
27, Bulgaria (now lives in Essex), Music Teacher | 23, Essex, Influencer Marketing Manager
How does it feel to be a part of Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends?
Maria: It’s crazy! It was about time he got a little push in our relationship and finally understood to get into the right mindset. It was a fun experience.
Viktor: It feels good and exciting. I’m looking forward to it.
Why did you decide to put your boyfriend forward for the programme?
Maria: We’ve been together for six years and within two years he gave me a promise ring. Four years later, there is still no [engagement] ring. Everytime I would ask what’s happening, he would come up with excuses. It’s time for no more excuses and time to get the answer I’ve been wanting - do you actually want to marry me? Or are you a commitment-phobe? I really wanted to put Viktor in that situation so he knows actually why he's here.
How did you feel when you learned the true purpose of the show?
Viktor: Very surprised! I had a lot of questions but it was a pleasant surprise to see my girlfriend - I was happy to see her.
How would you describe your relationship at the start of the experience?
Maria: Our relationship was good, it’s always been good. We’re that couple that doesn’t really argue. If we do argue it’s probably because we’re hungry! It’s just been that aching question of when is it going to happen. He’s very romantic, he is a very sweet man and I am grateful to have him. He needed a push in the right direction to get the wheels turning in his head to realise marriage is big and it needs to happen!
Viktor: It was great - it was perfect. We were very happy. But the type of life we live is very fast paced and sometimes you don’t have the opportunity to work on things and talk about every single day.
Olivia Attwood's Bad Boyfriends starts Sunday at 9pm on ITV2