Olivia Attwood rubbishes influencers’ claims of being ‘stressed’ while ‘working’ abroad in pandemic

Olivia Attwood has lashed out at influencers ‘working’ abroad once again, as she takes aim at their claims of being ‘stressed’ over posting on Instagram.

Earlier this week, the TV personality, 29, attracted widespread praise when she spoke out against the huge numbers of reality stars who descended on Dubai during the winter holiday amid the global novel coronavirus pandemic.

And in an interview with Grazia, the former Love Island star has doubled down on her stance, while also revealing that the one way fuming fans can hit back the hardest is by unfollowing the offending parties.

Important: Olivia Attwood has told people to stop trolling influencers after her rant slamming those ‘working’ abroad during the global pandemic

She said: ‘[There’s been polls on Instagram like] “I’m really stressed, do I post, do I not,” Like that’s not stress. People literally can’t feed their children, we are in a national situation where there are children literally starving, being given these sad little bags of food from the government.’

Olivia also keenly pointed out that it isn’t any necessary for any of the influencers in question to travel in order to work, as she’s been ‘working more than all of them’ in rain-soaked Manchester, where she’s based with fiancé Bradley Dack.

As such, she has revealed that the way to fight back is not to plaster stars’ posts with negative comments, as it still counts as interaction.  

She explained: ‘The way to hurt people is silence because actually, when you are commenting on someone’s photo, even if it’s a bad negative comment, you’re still drumming up interaction on that post.

”[I}f you’re going to send out to a brand that 5000 people have unfollowed you this week, it doesn’t look good, does it? So yeah, it makes a big difference.’

Fellow Love Islander Laura Anderson, who is currently in Dubai, recently attracted a mixed reaction when she offered to give fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse at her working day, so they could see how ‘hard’ it is to be an influencer.

Without naming names, Olivia branded the idea that such a conversation would be raised now is ‘unbelievably tone-deaf’, particularly ‘when your hard day is creating content that might get nasty comments and someone else’s hard day is a 12 hour shift, zipping up body bags at the end of it’. 

While she has shared her stance on influencers ‘working’ abroad in no uncertain terms, she recently urged people to stop trolling them. 

Addressing the furore over her comments on Wednesday, Olivia insisted that she doesn’t want to encourage any ‘hurtful behaviour’ and told any of her angry followers to instead ‘unfollow’ people.

Filming a make-up tutorial for her fans, the former TOWIE star said: ‘What I will quickly say is that after yesterday’s rantings, my phone, I mean it literally nearly blew up in my hand.

‘So I think… even though I was rambling, I think what I said is probably what a lot of people are thinking or feeling. Well, that’s what people have said to me anyway. But I’ve said it now.

‘One thing I will say today, I don’t want to encourage any hateful behaviour. Don’t write strangers on the Internet mean messages. 

‘Yes, they might do something that annoys you. Yes, they might be looking stupid but ultimately that’s going to be their own downfall. 

Abroad: As a long line of her Love Island co-stars and other influencers remain in Dubai, Olivia took to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday from her Manchester home to crticise those 'working abroad' (pictured fellow Love Islander Laura Anderson who is currently in Dubai)

Abroad: As a long line of her Love Island co-stars and other influencers remain in Dubai, Olivia took to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday from her Manchester home to crticise those ‘working abroad’ (pictured fellow Love Islander Laura Anderson who is currently in Dubai)

Furore: Addressing the furore over her comments on Wednesday, Olivia insisted that she doesn't want to encourage any 'hurtful behaviour' and told any of her angry followers to instead 'unfollow' people

Filming a make-up tutorial for her fans, the former TOWIE star said: 'What I will quickly say is that after yesterday's rantings, my phone, I mean it literally nearly blew up in my hand.'

Furore: Addressing the furore over her comments on Wednesday, Olivia insisted that she doesn’t want to encourage any ‘hurtful behaviour’ and told any of her angry followers to instead ‘unfollow’ people

‘So you don’t need to write them a hurtful message, just unfollow, don’t look. Everyone is fighting something we don’t know about.’

Olivia added that she is following her own advice as she is going to unfollow and mute any influencers annoying her. She didn’t name any specific accounts. 

Listing a range of activities people could do rather than troll, she continued: ‘Message a friend, talk to your dog, just deep breath.’ 

On Tuesday, Olivia hit out at her influencer pals for claiming they are ‘working’ in sunnier climes during the global pandemic.

A message! 'One thing I will say today, I don't want to encourage any hateful behaviour. Don't write strangers on the Internet mean messages,' Olivia insisted

A message! ‘One thing I will say today, I don’t want to encourage any hateful behaviour. Don’t write strangers on the Internet mean messages,’ Olivia insisted 

As a long line of her Love Island co-stars and other Instagram influencers remain in Dubai, Olivia took to her Instagram Stories from her Manchester home to criticise them for claiming they are working abroad.

Olivia’s video comes as it was revealed that travellers returning to the UK from the UAE will have to quarantine following a 52 per cent surge in the number of COVID -19 cases there – an undoubted shock for the influencer-packed city. 

Celebrating the first sunny day in her home city in weeks, the Love Island star joked she would have to go on holiday to shoot content for her 1.9m Instagram followers because of the lack of good weather. 

Had enough: On Tuesday, Olivia hit out at her influencer pals for claiming they are 'working' in sunnier climes during the global pandemic

Had enough: On Tuesday, Olivia hit out at her influencer pals for claiming they are ‘working’ in sunnier climes during the global pandemic

‘Being an influencer is actually really hard and I can’t create content for you guys here, so I am going to have to go on holiday but don’t worry I will keep referring to it as “work,”‘ the tongue-in-cheek video began.

Later, Olivia elaborated, telling her followers: ‘Oh my god I sound like an actual hater. Do you know what it is right, it’s just this meme that’s been going around which is making influencers, and it’s not all of them it’s only a few, look so bad.

‘It’s the constant “I’m working, not on holiday” shout. There is a difference from being able to earn money wherever you are are to being there for work,’ the star pointed out. 

Olivia explained that she has never pretended a holiday with her footballer fiancé Bradley Dack, 27, is a work trip, saying: ‘Whenever I go on holiday I’ll post content which I can monetise. 

Rant: 'It's the constant "I'm working, not on holiday" shout. There is a difference from being able to earn money wherever you are are to being there for work,' the star pointed out

Rant: ‘It’s the constant “I’m working, not on holiday” shout. There is a difference from being able to earn money wherever you are are to being there for work,’ the star pointed out

‘I’m still on holiday. I don’t go “Oh me and Brad have had the most amazing week in Portugal but don’t worry I was flat out working”. You just sound so stupid.’ 

Olivia did admit she would be tempted to escape the gloomy UK weather and the ongoing lockdowns at some point though, explaining: ‘And on top of that you’ve got the ones going “Oh we’re all in this together, this is our struggle”. 

‘No it’s not. You’re on holiday and to be fair I don’t f**king blame you. If this goes on for another six months I’m not going to say that I wouldn’t potentially be tempted to take a trip, because I probably f**king would.’

But she promised never to deceive her followers: ‘I just feel like it’s giving a whole load of people a bad reputation when actually some people have just gone away and put their hands up and been like, “Yeah, I’m on holiday”.’

Sunnier climes: Olivia didn't name any specific influencers but told her followers that 'in the last 24 hours, people have legit been on their Stories going "you don't know how hard it is to be an influencer"' (pictured Love Island star Amber Gill who is currently in Dubai)

Sunnier climes: Olivia didn’t name any specific influencers but told her followers that ‘in the last 24 hours, people have legit been on their Stories going “you don’t know how hard it is to be an influencer”‘ (pictured Love Island star Amber Gill who is currently in Dubai)

‘So many of my friends and family members are away and I’m just like you do you. 

‘Nothing about the way they’ve handled it has really triggered me but then some things in the last 24 hours, people legit on their Stories going “you don’t know how hard it is to be an influencer”.

‘People are losing their family members daily, people can’t pay their rent, people’s life-long businesses are crumbling around them and you’re on your Stories on the beach telling us we don’t know how hard it is.’

Touching on her own experiences over the past year, the blonde continued: ‘I’m not saying my pandemic has been a genuine struggle, I still have a roof over my head.

‘If I decide to bail out of this s**tshow in a few months. Don’t all hate on me. I’m not gonna say I’m never going away again, but I won’t be telling you I’m going for work, I’m just gonna be honest.’

Tough: Olivia did admit she would be tempted to escape the gloomy UK weather and the ongoing lockdowns at some point though, declaring: I don't f**king blame you' (pictured Love Island star Francesca Allen who is currently in Dubai)

Tough: Olivia did admit she would be tempted to escape the gloomy UK weather and the ongoing lockdowns at some point though, declaring: I don’t f**king blame you’ (pictured Love Island star Francesca Allen who is currently in Dubai)

Earlier this month Olivia disclosed that she has successfully battled both the novel coronavirus and the H1N1 virus, commonly called swine flu.

Taking to her Instagram Stories on New Year’s Day, she told followers that her best friend was hospitalised after they contracted swine flu while on holiday in Cyprus, while she also managed to ‘survive Covid’.

‘Girls, Thomas Cook said don’t go, we were like, “No, it’ll be fine”. We pretty much all caught swine flu,’ she explained.

‘My best friend was hospitalised in Cyprus for like two weeks, we had to leave her and her dad had to come out and look after her.

‘It was not fun, so I can say that I’ve survived Covid and swine flu. I dunno if that looks bad on me or good on me.’

At home: Olivia has remained at the Manchester home she shares with her footballer fiancé Bradley Dack, but has admitted it's been a struggle to shoot content for Instagram in the UK

At home: Olivia has remained at the Manchester home she shares with her footballer fiancé Bradley Dack, but has admitted it’s been a struggle to shoot content for Instagram in the UK

It was revealed this week that travellers returning to the UK from the UAE will have to quarantine following a 52 per cent surge in the number of COVID -19 cases there. 

New rules will require international travellers to come back negative after a PCR test before arriving in England, which will come into force from Friday.

From 4am on January 15, passengers arriving by boat, train or plane – including UK nationals – will have to take a test up to 72 hours before leaving the country.

They will need to present proof of a negative test result – using a PCR test or on some occasions a LAMP or lateral flow test – to their carrier on boarding while the UK Border Force will conduct spot checks on arrivals.

New arrivals who flout the rules will face a minimum £500 fine, while the operator who transported them will also be fined.

Passengers will still have to quarantine for 10 days regardless of their test results, transport minister Robert Courts said in a statement.

British nationals attempting to return home who test positive must not travel and must follow the local guidance in their host country, and contact the nearest consulate if they need support.

It comes as travellers returning to the UK from the UAE will have to quarantine following a 52 per cent surge in the number of Covid-19 cases there.

Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al-Quwain, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah have been added to the UK’s quarantine list – meaning social media stars at the Middle Eastern holiday hotspot will need to self-isolate for 10 days.

Big revelation: Earlier this month Olivia disclosed that she has successfully battled both the novel coronavirus and the H1N1 virus, commonly called swine flu

Big revelation: Earlier this month Olivia disclosed that she has successfully battled both the novel coronavirus and the H1N1 virus, commonly called swine flu