Olivia Bowen has opened up about her experience with Vanishing Twin Syndrome, a little-known pregnancy complication in which one twin dies early in the pregnancy and is reabsorbed by the mother’s body. Bowen, a television personality and influencer best known for appearing on the reality show Love Island, described the complex emotions she faced during her pregnancy, which involved the loss of one of her twins.

Bowen and her husband, Alex, learned they were expecting twins during an early ultrasound. However, at the eight-week scan, doctors informed them that the second twin no longer had a heartbeat. Despite this, Bowen experienced no physical signs of miscarriage such as bleeding or pain. For some women, the loss linked to Vanishing Twin Syndrome occurs even before they discover they are carrying multiples, and in some cases, the second twin is never seen on a scan. In Bowen’s case, the twin remained visible until around 16 weeks, intensifying the emotional difficulty of the experience.

The reality star reflected on the “impossible contradiction” of feeling both joy and grief at every scan appointment—delighting in seeing her baby growing but simultaneously mourning the twin she would never meet. Bowen said she initially expected to feel closure when the second twin was no longer visible on ultrasound, but that proved not to be the case. She described the loss as “heartbreaking” and noted how difficult it was for her husband, Alex, to process, as he could not adopt the same coping mechanism she did.

One piece of advice Bowen found helpful was to view the lost twin as being absorbed back into her body rather than truly lost. She has chosen not to name the twin but thinks of the child as a girl. To honor the twin’s memory, Bowen and her husband have placed a small plaque in their surviving daughter Siena’s bedroom that reads, “Every sunset, I’m with you.” She explained that families affected by Vanishing Twin Syndrome sometimes refer to the baby they have lost as the “sunset baby,” while the surviving twin is the “sunrise baby.” This metaphor has transformed the way Bowen perceives sunsets.

Siena, who was born last August, is the couple’s only child. Bowen acknowledged the challenge of explaining the complex pregnancy experience to her daughter as she grows older, saying she is unsure how best to approach the topic but remains open to guidance.

Olivia Bowen first rose to public attention in 2016 during the second series of Love Island, where she met Alex Bowen. They have maintained privacy about certain aspects of their relationship since then. Bowen’s candid account sheds light on an uncommon and often overlooked pregnancy complication, highlighting the emotional impact it can have on parents.