![Zara Deniz Lackenby-Brown wears a black puffer coat and a multicolor dress walking down the street.](https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Zara-Deniz-Lackenby-Brown.jpg)
‘Love Island’ 2023: Zara and Olivia Knew Each Other Before the Show
Sometimes people who know each other get cast on Love Island to throw off the islanders. But the reality TV show doesn’t always reveal that. Here is how Zara Deniz Lackenby-Brown and Olivia Hawkins know each other.
Zara and Olivia were in a love triangle on ‘Love Island’ 2023
Americans had our fair share of love triangles on our version of Love Island USA. Who could forget Cashay Proudfoot, Trina Njoroge, and Melvin “Cinco” Holland Jr.? But the UK’s version is back, bringing us a new one.
Tom was the first bombshell of the season. He coupled up with Olivia, who was in a friendship couple with Will Young. So the ring girl was thrilled about the change.
But Zara entered the villa and had an instant connection with Tom. He loved her height, and they both wanted someone who kept them on their toes with banter. The salt in the wound for Olivia is that Zara called her two-faced in a game.
The ladies had multiple confrontations about their issues with each other. Zara repeatedly told Olivia that Tom wasn’t interested in her. But Olivia kept pulling Tom for a chat to see if he was keeping his options open. The love triangle only got tenser when Haris Namani was dumped from the villa. A man Olivia claimed to be interested in while pursuing Tom. Apparently, the models have a history before the show, which makes the situation even more interesting.
How do Zara Deniz Lackenby Brown and Olivia Hawkins know each other?
Some details about the cast are hidden from fans, and there is always a question of how much producers affect the show. However, dedicated fans find a way around it by researching social media.
One fan shared a screenshot of Olivia commenting on one of Zara’s pictures on Instagram. “Fave photo of you [heart eye emoji],” she wrote. “My babes [heart emoji],” Zara replied.
So they seemed much more friendly than how they behaved on the show. David Salako also claimed that Zara told the other islanders that she knew Olivia, who confirmed this, according to Grazia.
Once Zara was dumped from the island she finally got to explain the mystery of how they knew each other. “We were acquaintances through work,” she told Grazia. “Whenever we crossed paths on film sets it was good vibes so I thought I would have a friendly face in there who would help me feel at ease – but how wrong I was.”
How did Zara get dumped from the island?
![Zara Deniz Lackenby-Brown wears a black puffer coat and a multicolor dress walking down the street.](https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Zara-Deniz-Lackenby-Brown.jpg?strip=all&quality=89)
Fans in the United States can watch Love Island on Hulu. But those in the UK already know that Zara was dumped.
Once again, bombshells entered the villa to stir things up. Ellie Spence a 25-year-old business development executive at a law firm, was one of them. Tom coupled up with her, and Olivia coupled up with newcomer Spencer Wilks. The 24-year-old is another younger guy for the self-described “cougar.” He works as an e-commerce business owner.