Olivia Attwood, 35, has been accused of overstating her role in the canned cocktail brand Savano, after it emerged the company she has publicly called "my baby" was actually founded more than 16 years ago by someone else.
Olivia is the majority stakeholder in Savano and is entitled to describe herself as a founder on that basis. But sources say the brand she has been so enthusiastically promoting to her followers has a far longer history than she has let on, dating back over 16 years under a different name.
A run of PR stunts
The Love Island star has used a string of attention-grabbing stunts to sell the brand. In one, she posed topless on the rooftop of her penthouse flat in south London, covering her chest with two cans of Savano.
In another, she walked down a street in a sheer co-ord, carrying a gold Chanel bag, with cans of the drink hanging from a chain around her. Even her recent "hard launch" with her boyfriend Pete Wicks over the weekend featured a Moscow Mule from her range.
Those who know Olivia say she is "immensely proud" of the project.
The founder claims
In two interviews, including one in the drinks trade publication Bar Magazine, Olivia has described herself as the founder of the drinks empire. "Moving from brand ambassador for best-in-class brands to founder is an exciting new chapter," she said.
"Savano has been created with my audience in mind. We've worked hard to create cocktails that feel genuinely premium," she added.
Savano's real history
Before there was Savano, there was Tom Savano Cocktails. In February this year, the company was sold to Babco International for an undisclosed sum, according to sources.
Babco International, which also owns the drinks brands Neptune Rum and Tofka Vodka, acquired the recipes and licensing before giving the business a makeover and relaunching it under the shorter name Savano. Olivia then became the majority stakeholder and the public face of the operation.
Tom Savano was founded in 2010 by James Kerslake, who was working in investment banking at the time he came up with the idea of bringing premium cocktails into people's homes. The original range included a Hot Honey Margarita, a Caipirinha, a Margarita and a Mojito.
Same drinks, new name
Those original flavours have carried over into Olivia's Savano range, which now includes a Hot Honey Margarita, a Caipirinha and a Moscow Mule, priced at £25 for a pack of six. Sources say even those flavours were being made before Olivia became involved, with the Hot Honey Margarita first released by Tom Savano back in 2024.
When Olivia unveiled Savano in July, she described the drinks as having been "a year in the making," without mentioning the brand's history going back 16 years.
The launch party
Announcing the brand, Olivia told fans: "My baby Savano launched this week; it's a canned cocktail company and you guys have been selling us out already so we're going to get more stock. It's going to come back into Sainsbury's but right now you can shop it online on Amazon."
She added: "So this week, to celebrate the birth of my first child, I'm going to celebrate with a party. Of course, it's what I do, have a party every other week."
Olivia invited fellow celebrities, influencers and television presenters to the launch party, where guests were treated to a fully stocked bar, with Marvin Humes DJing on the roof. Goodie bags were packed with free drinks, stickers bearing Olivia's face and Garnier products.
There was also a "naughty corner" complete with trays of cigarettes and vapes and a tattoo artist. Olivia herself had "Savano" tattooed on her arm in red ink.
