OLIVIA Attwood has justified her inclusion in This Morning's line-up of summer presenters, saying: "I've put the hard work in".
The Love Island favourite, who has built a successful career fronting documentaries and as a Loose Women panellist, is one of a number of stars filling in for regular hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard over the summer break.
Though she's not the first reality star to host the show, with fellow summer star and X Factor icon Rylan Clark having already proven a dab hand on the set, Olivia's villa background hasn't gone down well with some traditionalists who have gone so far as to say they'll "definitely stop watching”.
But Olivia, 34, is confident in her abilities and feels she's earned her stripes to become ITV's new golden girl.
She exclusively told The Sun: "Those who know me understand the hard work I've put in to get where I am today.
"I'm forever grateful to Love Island for being the springboard to my career, but I’m excited to show there's so much more to me beyond the villa."
She continued: "It’s been a lot of hard work, but I’ve always stayed focused on my goals and believed in myself and I’m very thankful for ITV in believing me."
As someone who grew up watching the show as a child, she knows what it's about and the position it has in the national consciousness.
She said: "When I got the gig, I was over the moon! I grew up watching the show, and to be a part of it feels like such a huge achievement!"
Olivia will turn to an old motto when it is her time in front of the camera, telling us her ultimate piece of advice is: "Stay true to who you are, no matter how much your world changes."
Other stars fronting the show this summer include Sian Welby, Dermot O'Leary, Emma Willis, Josie Gibson, Rochelle Humes, Joel Dommett, Craig Doyle, and Andi Peters.
We recently revealed how This Morning bosses will ensure Olivia and her ex-boyfriend Chris Hughes, who is a roving reporter on the show, won't have to interact.
Olivia Attwood fans go wild as she shares Chanel dress dupe that’s £2k cheaper from high street shop
Chris is said to be unhappy with a number of comments Olivia made about him and his now girlfriend JoJo Siwa while they were in the Celebrity Big Brother house.
However, a friend of Olivia's told us, she hasn't even thought about it.
They said: “To be honest, it hadn’t even crossed her mind when she took the This Morning gig.
“Of course, she wouldn’t relish having to interact with Chris on camera, but she’s a professional at the end of the day.
“She’s focused on making the most of the summer hosting slot and doing her job well - who else is on the rota doesn’t concern her. When you work in telly, not everyone you work with is going to be your best mate.”
When her first This Morning gig does roll around, Olivia will be fuelled up with Costa Coffee chilled Latte, which she calls her "perfect pick-me-up for those busy days".
5
5
5
Ahead of then, she's teamed up with Roman Kemp to launch the Costa Hypeline - WhatsApp line to get the nation motivated.
Fans can WhatsApp +44 7763 218 600 before this Thursday, letting Roman or Olivia know what they need hyping for and they could get a voice note back, tailored to their moment of need.
Olivia said: “Motivation is an important thing as most of us hit a wall way before lunchtime. A little hype can go a long way.
"I’m buzzing to be on the other end of the line with Costa, handing out some words of encouragement.
"We’ll be managing the Costa Hypeline for one day only on the 17th July to help give out those much-needed boosts of productivity – message in for a hype!”
