After a turbulent year, Olivia Attwood says she’s looking forward to a quieter Christmas with husband Brad – and not partying on NYE…
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It’s no secret Olivia Attwood has had a pretty up and down year that, at its worst, saw her denying rumours she was on the brink of divorcefrom her footballer husband of two years, Bradley Dack.
But as the festive period approaches, Olivia, in her usual frank style, tells Closer that she and Brad, who tied the knot in June 2023, have put the past firmly behind them – and are looking forward to a calm Christmas after a ‘hectic’ 2025.
‘It’s just Brad and I for Christmas and we’re going to a hotel with the dogs [Carpathian/ German Shepherd mix Lola and Rottweiler Stitch]. It’s just the four of us, which I’m actually really excited about, as this year’s been so hectic. It’ll be nice to actually have a bit of time just me and him,’ the 34-year-old says.
‘A lot of my family are all going in different directions – skiing and other places. And obviously for Brad, with his football, we’re very committed over Christmas. He has to play on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and he might have to go on Christmas Day. But I’m actually quite excited just to have that time with the two of us.’
She and Brad had a rocky year ©Joseph Okpako/Getty Images
It will come as no surprise that Olivia and Brad, 31, are using Christmas as a re-set, thanks to an incident in August where pictures of Olivia enjoying a wild holiday in Ibiza emerged. Olivia was photographed looking close to good friend, TOWIE’s Pete Wicks, with her head resting on his chest, as he placed his hand on her waist – images that reportedly left Brad ‘livid’. The Bad Boyfriendshost was also spotted without her wedding ring, and later admitted, ‘Me and Brad never pretend to have a perfect relationship, we have been up, down, left, backwards, and the last six months have been really challenging for us.’
The outspoken star also addressed speculation head-on on Loose Women saying, ‘I am not going through a divorce by the way! I am not divorcing. Brad is lovely.’ Plus, she took to Instagram to admit things had been rocky between the pair – who previously dated in 2015 before she appeared on Love Island – writing, ‘Ten years of us. A lot has changed. Marriage is frikinnn hard (no one wants to say that part out loud) and I’m just not a faker. I’m not posting pictures if they don’t reflect our reality. We are doing our thing.’
No NYE parties for Olivia ©Shutterstock
Now, proving to Closer they’re firmly back on track, Olivia revealed she and Brad are planning a summer holiday together – albeit not to Ibiza.
‘I said to Brad that maybe this year we would book a trip as our Christmas present to each other because, as anyone who follows me knows, I don’t need anything. I have everything!’ she explains.
‘So I think we’re going to look to book a trip that we’ll do in the summer together. We want to go and do North America and Canada, like a bit of a road trip,” Olivia, who is half-Canadian herself, continues. ‘But we also want to limit the time on the road – it’s very difficult because I know that we would kill each other if we drove too far! So we want to do something where I can show him some of Canada without too much driving.’
And, as party season approaches, the outspoken star is keen to reiterate that while she likes letting her hair down, she’ll be ringing in the New Year in a low-key way – with just Brad by her side. ‘Not to be a party pooper but I kind of loathe New Year’s Eve,’ she confesses. ‘I kind of behave like every night is New Year’s Eve when I go out – so actually it’s the one night of the year where it feels like very constructed fun.
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‘Brad’s birthday is New Year’s Eve and he always has a game on New Year’s Day, so he can’t go out. So it’s perfect because he has to go to sleep, and I don’t care to go out, so we always see in New Year’s Eve together with a takeaway and a film, and I much prefer that.’
Olivia will also be using the time to reflect on the past year – and is looking forward to a, hopefully, drama-free 2026. ‘I don’t have resolutions as I can’t improve on perfection – only joking!’ she laughs. ‘But I do write goals and aspirations for the year. I write them in a book and split them into personal, work, and financial. I have an overview of things I’d like to achieve – it’s a nice thing to look back on.’
‘I always do an end of year highlights too, as I keep a written Filofax. So whenever I get time over Christmas – probably on the 27th or 28th when it’s one of those dead days – I’ll look through what I’ve done. So much happens in a year that it’s quite a nice way to remind yourself of what you’ve done and reflect that into what you want to bring for next year.’
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