Olivia Attwood's This Morning debut draws praise as talks of permanent slot grow

Olivia Attwood has said she 'breathed a sigh of relief' after winning over the 'tough' This Morning audience with her hosting debut, a performance many fans have since described as surreal. The former Love Island star, 34, stepped in for the summer run alongside Dermot O’Leary and has since been linked to a potential permanent role on the ITV daytime staple. Attwood recalled that the early minutes on air felt dreamlike, noting she heard the show’s iconic theme music before walking onto the set and realizing she was live.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Attwood said daytime viewers can be a discerning crowd, but she felt the room lean in her direction as the broadcast wore on. She described the reception as “really nice,” and she said there has been tangible momentum behind the idea of a longer-term role. “There are discussions begun to make me a more permanent fixture, it’s just a case of when that is,” she noted, adding that her schedule can complicate timing because there are already other hosts in place for specific slots. Still, she voiced optimism: “Hopefully we will see more of me there.”

Beyond the TV studio, Attwood has been busy promoting a Nationwide initiative designed to blend breakfast and money guidance for students. Nationfried, a pop-up cafe conceived with Nationwide to spotlight the FlexStudent account, serves breakfast while offering practical money tips. The project has traveled from London to other UK cities and is billed as a hands-on experience aimed at Freshers Week audiences. The campaigns describe perks such as £100 in free cash and £120 in Just Eat vouchers, intended to help students ease into university life while learning about money management. The NationFried experience took over a London cafe last week and has since rolled out to Cardiff, Manchester and Glasgow, as Attwood teams with Nationwide and social media personality Joe Baggs to raise awareness of the FlexStudent account.

Attwood has emphasized that she did not grow up with a university background herself, but she grew up with an open narrative around money and began working at 15 years old. She told the Daily Mail that financial education is essential and encouraged people to seek out resources to learn about budgeting, savings, and debt management. “We always had quite an open narrative in my household around saving, and managing money,” she said. “Accounts like the Flex Student account can really help, and I’d just try and educate yourself around money as much as you possibly can, because there is so much information out there and don’t be afraid of it.” She added that money, for her, equals independence and freedom, and she has long aspired to build a future where she can control her own finances.

In parallel with her hosting duties, Attwood has remained busy with scripted and reality television. She is in Las Vegas filming the fourth series of Getting Filthy Rich, and her dating show Bad Boyfriends, which wrapped its dramatic run on ITVX, has dominated screens in recent weeks. Viewers have aired mixed reactions to some of the show’s moments, and Attwood acknowledged that certain scenes have felt uncomfortable to witness. She said she wouldn’t single anyone out, but noted that some behavior on the show can be “uncomfortable,” underscoring that the program aims to hold a mirror up to what some participants consider normal. “The reason the show is so, it’s so fun, but it’s also so powerful, is that it holds a candle up to behaviour that some of these guys think is normal,” she commented.

All the while, there is clear interest at This Morning in keeping Attwood involved beyond the summer stint. The broadcaster has signaled openness to a more permanent arrangement, with Attwood reiterating that the final word will depend on scheduling and the availability of other hosts. She has spoken of enjoying the fit with Dermot O’Leary and has expressed enthusiasm about potentially sharing the hosting chair with others she admires, while also acknowledging that a longer-term role would depend on how her other commitments align with the breakfast-show timetable. The reception to her summer run—paired with Dermot—has bolstered the impression that Attwood could become a recognized fixture for daytime audiences, a status that would align with fans’ comparisons to Holly Willoughby after Willoughby’s departure.

In short, Attwood’s summer appearance on This Morning has moved from a splashy debut to a plausible pathway toward a regular presence on a flagship ITV daytime program. The next weeks will likely shape whether the show officially brings her aboard as a permanent host, but for now her impact on the audience and on the show’s dynamic appears to be taking root. The Nationfried collaboration with Nationwide stands as a separate strand of her public-facing work, tying a financial-education message to a broader pop-culture profile as she continues to balance filming commitments, hosting duties, and media attention.