Love Island UK's Olivia Bowen has opened up about finding out she was expecting twins but then learning she'd lost one of the babies at eight weeks.
Speaking to The Sun UK's Fabulous magazine, Olivia, 31, broke her silence on suffering from vanishing twin syndrome, something she'd never heard of before.
In February 2025, Olivia and husband Alex Bowen, who met on Love Island UK in 2016, announced they were expecting their second child.
While the couple are elated to welcome another baby, Olivia wanted to shed light on the important topic of miscarriage.
"I've tried to write this in my head a thousand times & now it's come to the time to actually write it, it's so hard to put everything I'm feeling into one," Olivia penned a message on social media.
"There isn't many words I can find to explain the emotions we've been carrying - but all I knew from the moment I found the strength to say it out loud was that I wanted to share our story to connect with parents out there, like us, who have been through the same heartbreak & pain.
"You're not alone, even when it feels like you are the loneliest person in the world. And if by telling our story, it helps just one person to feel they can get through it too, that's what matters," Olivia wrote.
Love Island babies and bumps: Who's had a baby and who's expecting
Olivia and Alex are expecting baby number two.
Olivia shared the confusion she had around feeling immense joy and sadness at the same time.
"I couldn't wrap my head around the happiness & joy I felt for having one safe healthy baby - I know how fortunate we are for that - but at the exact same time feeling the excruciating pain & trauma of losing their twin. It's like the two couldn't co exist."
After sharing her story, Olivia was "literally blown away" by the messages she'd received from women going through the same situation.
"Vanishing twin syndrome is something I had never heard of and it felt like I was completely alone, thank you for trusting me with your stories and making me realise I am very much in a community of strong women," Olivia shared.
Olivia and Alex found love on Season 2 of Love Island UK and are considered one of the biggest success stories in the series' history.
They were crowned runners-up in 2016 and became the first couple from the reality TV show to get married when they tied the knot in 2018.
The couple welcomed their first son Abel in June 2022 and in February 2025 announced they were expecting a second child.
Olivia wrote alongside a video announcement: "A moment, a love – baby no2 – we're waiting for you."
What is vanishing twin syndrome?
Vanishing twin syndrome is a type of miscarriage that affects twin, triplet and multiple pregnancies according to BabyCenter Australia.
It occurs very early on in the pregnancy when one embryo simply stops growing and is absorbed into the gestational sac.
Because it happens usually within the first 12 weeks, many woman don't realise they're carrying more than one baby.
There can often be no symptoms or very subtle symptoms such as cramping, bleeding and pelvic pain.
Vanishing twin syndrome during the first trimester doesn't affect the surviving baby in most cases.
