EXCLUSIVE ‘We can make a difference’: Olivia and Alex Bowen admit trolls criticised their appearance as soon as they left Love Island as they urge their fans to ‘stand up to bullying’
Olivia and Alex Bowen reflected on how trolls criticised their appearance following their stint on Love Island back in 2016.
In a clip exclusively obtained by MailOnline, the reality TV stars, aged 26 and 29, admitted they were impacted by the torment they received about their looks, while other naysayers questioned the authenticity of their romance.
The power couple insisted the public can ‘make a difference’ and ‘stand up’ against online abuse as they teamed up with social media app Compete’s initiative with charity Boo2Bullying.
‘Those comments really bothered us’: Olivia and Alex Bowen reflected on how trolls criticised their appearance following their stint on Love Island back in 2016
Recalling the early beginnings of stardom, influencer Olivia shared: ‘When we both came out of Love Island we receive quite a lot of trolling. I remember there were comments where I was called fat and there were comments about my teeth.’
Former scaffolder Alex detailed a remark which stuck out to him after his time on the ITV programme as he said: ‘A comment that really bothered me was when I was called skinny as I used to get called skinny all the time as a kid.’
‘Some people even said that we wouldn’t last, but it’s been three years so all you trolls were completely wrong!’, Olivia added in defence of her relationship.
‘We received quite a lot of trolling’: In a clip exclusively obtained by MailOnline, the reality TV stars, aged 26 and 29, admitted they were impacted by the torment (pictured in 2016)
Aims: The power couple insisted the public can ‘make a difference’ and ‘stand up’ against online abuse as they teamed up with app Compete’s initiative with charity Boo2Bullying
The couple went on to highlight the significance of combatting intolerance and discrimination as they explained: ‘We’ve teamed up with Complete and Boo2Bullying for this important cause to make our voices heard.
‘Together by standing up to bullying we can make a difference and make the world a kinder place.’
The pair, who tied the knot in September 2018, said in a separate statement: ‘We’re really proud to be involved with Compete and Boo2Bullying’s global campaign.
‘We both know first hand how it feels to be trolled online; it can be really upsetting to read nasty comments about your appearance, or your relationship and sometimes it can stick with you.
‘I used to get called skinny all the time as a kid’: Former scaffolder Alex detailed a remark which stuck out to him after his time on the ITV programme
Harsh: The pair pulled shocked facial expressions as they read shocking tweets about themselves, one of which read: ‘Someone needs to punch Olivia Buckland in the face’
‘Sadly we know of too many who are impacted deeply by trolling and bullying, and some with tragic consequences.
‘That’s why we feel so strongly that more needs to be done to protect people from online abuse and we’re thrilled to be involved with Compete which is a positive, safe and troll free social media space.’
The TV stars invited their social media followers to shout ‘Boo2Bullying’ in a creative way in order to have a chance of winning up to a prize worth £1,120, and a GoFundMe page has been set up to support the cause.
To join the challenge and support this amazing cause download Compete on the App Store Compete – The Home of talent & Instagram @compete_HQ
Going strong: The lovebirds tied the knot in September 2018 following a two-year relationship