You remember the summer of 2017, right? It was basically the year of the water bottle and people saying "melt" every five seconds. At the center of that whirlwind were Olivia Attwood and Chris Hughes. They weren’t just another Love Island couple; they were the couple. The one you couldn’t stop watching even when you wanted to look away.
Honestly, their chemistry was electric, but it was also totally exhausting. They came in third place, but let’s be real, they owned the headlines. Fast forward to 2026, and their lives couldn't look more different. Olivia is a married woman living a high-glamour life, and Chris? Well, he’s currently making waves with a very unexpected American pop star.
The Villa, the Tears, and Cash Hughes
The relationship started in the most chaotic way possible. Olivia was originally paired with Sam Gowland, but when Chris walked in, the vibes shifted instantly. It wasn't smooth sailing, though. You’ve probably seen the memes of Chris crying—he was a sensitive soul, and Olivia, well, she didn't exactly do "gentle" back then.
They fought. A lot. But then came Cash Hughes.
In one of the most iconic moments in reality TV history, the couple had to "parent" a plastic doll. Chris took it so seriously it was actually sort of endearing. He treated that doll like his own flesh and blood, and for a minute, we all thought, "Maybe they’ll actually make it?" They left the villa as a solid unit, but the "outside world" is a different beast entirely.
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Why the Crackin' On Dream Collapsed
Most fans expected them to be the next big power couple. They even landed their own spin-off show on ITVBe called Chris & Olivia: Crackin' On. But instead of showing a fairytale, the cameras captured the slow-motion car crash of a breakup.
It was brutal to watch. Olivia later admitted on Loose Women that she felt "abandoned" during the split. She’d been caught in the press leaving a club with her ex-boyfriend, Bradley Dack (keep that name in mind), which sent Chris into a spiral of jealousy. Chris, on his end, was filmed getting a bit too close to a mystery woman in a club.
The trust was just... gone.
In a 2018 interview, Olivia revealed that Chris actually insisted the breakup be filmed for the show. Imagine that. Having your heart broken for the ratings. She wanted to do it privately, but the "reality" of reality TV won out. By the time the final episode aired, they were already living separate lives.
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Where is Olivia Attwood Now?
If you look at Olivia today, she’s basically the queen of ITV. She’s moved far beyond the "fiery blonde" trope. She’s hosted documentaries about plastic surgery, appeared on I'm A Celeb (briefly, before that medical exit), and has become a genuine fashion icon.
The biggest plot twist? She went back to the guy Chris was so worried about.
Olivia and Bradley Dack got engaged in 2019 and finally tied the knot in June 2023. It was a massive, £30,000-dress-wearing, celebrity-studded wedding at the Bulgari Hotel in London. They even got matching "Till Death Do Us Part" tattoos on their wedding day. Talk about commitment. Olivia has often described her relationship with Chris as "toxic" and "incompatible," noting that they just weren't meant for the long haul.
The 2026 Update: Chris Hughes and JoJo Siwa?
Now, this is where things get wild. If you told someone in 2017 that Chris Hughes would be dating JoJo Siwa in 2026, they’d think you were hallucinating.
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But here we are.
Chris and JoJo met on Celebrity Big Brother UK in early 2025. What started as a weirdly sweet friendship—Chris defending her against some harsh comments in the house—turned into a full-blown romance. By mid-2025, they were official. Just this month (January 2026), JoJo sparked massive engagement rumors by posting a photo in a wedding dress with the caption "Call me a wife."
Chris has been vocal about this being a "safe love." He’s even joked about having a "proper English wedding" and how his mum absolutely loves her. It’s a complete 180 from the high-stress, explosive days with Olivia.
What We Can Learn From the Chris and Olivia Saga
Looking back at Olivia Attwood and Chris Hughes, it’s easy to dismiss it as just "trashy TV." But there’s a real lesson in why they didn't work.
- Environment Matters: Love Island is a pressure cooker. When you take people out of the sun and put them in a flat in London with paparazzi at the door, the cracks widen.
- Compatibility vs. Chemistry: They had insane chemistry, but zero compatibility. Olivia needed stability; Chris needed reassurance. Neither could give the other what they required.
- Growth is Real: Both of them have found happiness by moving in completely different directions. Olivia found it in a long-term, pre-fame connection, and Chris found it in a "transatlantic" romance that no one saw coming.
If you’re still reeling from the JoJo Siwa news, you aren’t alone. The internet is still processing it. But hey, if Chris can go from crying over a plastic doll to potentially marrying a global pop star, anything is possible.
If you want to keep track of their current lives, you're better off following Olivia’s "So Wrong It’s Right" podcast or keeping an eye on Chris’s horse racing presenting gigs—that’s where the real, unedited updates happen these days.