Olivia Attwood has said a boozy holiday in Ibiza with fellow television personality Pete Wicks "caused chaos" at home after she and Wicks were pictured together on a yacht, and that relatives and friends were left "really concerned" by her behaviour.
Footage obtained from a KISS FM filming session two days before the snaps shows Wicks and Attwood discussing how to "cause chaos" on the trip, with Attwood saying putting phones on "do not disturb" and not replying to messages "causes chaos at home." Wicks replied: "I mean, to be fair, we cause chaos everywhere we go."
The image of Wicks with his arm draped around a bikini-clad Attwood taken during a boat party on the island prompted a public backlash and drew criticism from some who said the photograph was inappropriate given Attwood's marriage to professional footballer Bradley Dack. Attwood told the Daily Mail she understood why Dack was "upset" but insisted she and Dack remain together and that she and Wicks are "just good friends and work colleagues."
Attwood acknowledged the couple's relationship has been strained by heavy work schedules, saying the last six months had been "really challenging" and that neither she nor Dack pretended their relationship was perfect. "My work and his work take precedence over everything, we have to navigate our relationship all the time," she said. She added: "I have fed up and done stuff, Brad has fed up. It's really easy to pretend you're perfect but no one is if you just dig a little deeper."
The yacht photograph, which showed Wicks with a hand on Attwood's thigh, led to online reaction and, according to reports, chanting aimed at Dack by some fans at matches involving his League Two club, Gillingham. The coverage also coincided with reported personal fallouts: the image was said to have prompted a rift with Attwood's former assistant, Ryan Kay, who has reportedly cut ties with her.
Attwood said the atmosphere on the boat was friendly and that the group were "drinking and hugging each other and being best friends," describing the scene as "family vibes." She said the incident "was never as deep as anyone made out" and that speculation about divorce was unfounded.
Wicks and Attwood were in Ibiza as part of KISS programming, hosting an O Beach event, according to the interview. In the clip aired by KISS FM, Wicks said: "To be fair, we cause chaos for other people. We don't realise we're chaos, but everyone else thinks it's chaos," and Attwood added: "They're really concerned. The island has us now. We're on day two and everyone is sending out search parties. We've not responded to a thing."
Attwood has sought to frame the episode as a lapse in judgment amid a hectic professional life and said she and Dack are working through difficulties together. She reiterated that while their relationship has "ups and downs," they remain a couple and are attempting to navigate the pressures of public careers and private life.
The incident highlights the scrutiny faced by public figures whose personal interactions are widely shared on social media and reported by tabloids. Attwood's comments follow a period of heightened attention to celebrity behaviour in holiday settings and the manner in which informal interactions are interpreted in the tabloids and online.
Representatives for Attwood, Wicks and Dack did not provide further comment beyond the interview remarks.