15 January 2023 , 06:04
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Love Island star Olivia Hawkins was said to be "getting close" to Eastenders ' Max Bowden before jetting off to the South African villa.
The ninth season of the hugely popular ITV2 reality dating show will be on our screens from Monday January 16 at 9pm as 10 new singletons look for love in the plush new villa in Cape Town.
The Michelle Keegan lookalike, 27, has been attracting some famous faces from the world of acting and football with her seductive social media posts, with Max, who plays Ben Mitchell in the BBC soap, among those to like her Instagram photos.
Olivia Hawkins was 'getting close' to an Eastenders star before going on Love Island (instagram.com/livhawkinss)
Olivia has some famous followers on her Instagram account, including two Eastenders stars and an international football (instagram.com/livhawkinss)Max became a father for the first time in September with ex Roisin Buckle and recently ended his romance with Eastenders co-star Shona McGarty, which could be awkward after Olivia worked as a body double for the Whitney Dean actress in scenes that were aired during the New Year episodes.
Max started liking Olivia's post on New Year's Day and the pair started following each other as the flirting started to ramp up, according to sources to The Sun.
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One said: "Max and Olivia have been sharing exchanges and keeping an eye on how each other has been doing.
EastEnders star Max Bowden is reported to have started flirting with Olivia on New Year's Day (BBC)"She has been very impressed that Max showed such a keen interest in her and has been telling all her friends excitedly about it. She clearly fancies him. They’ve been growing closer.
"They follow each other on Instagram but he’s not the only famous face to be liking her photos."
Max is not the only Eastenders actor to be interested in the brunette bombshell, with Zack Morris, 24, who portrays Keegan Baker in the soap, also liking her posts.
The Love Island star briefly appeared in James Bond film No Time To DieLille and United States striker Timothy Weah - son of former FIFA World Player of the Year and Liberia president George Weah - who starred at the 2022 World Cup, is another follower of Olivia's Instagram account. She has over 19,500 followers on the social media account.
She also has previous with a former Love Island alum Jack Fowler when she appeared in a YouTube speed-dating show in 2019.
The Brighton-based ring girl, dancer and actor has had cameo appearances In the most recent James Bond film No Time To Die, Netflix's Top Boy and has featured in several music videos for the likes of Big Narstie, Craig David and Tom Zanetti.