EXCLUSIVE: Love Island 2023 winners Jess Harding and Sammy Root SPLIT just two months after scooping the £50,000 prize
Love Island 2023 winners Jess Harding and Sammy Root have split just two months after scooping the £50,000 prize, MailOnline can exclusively reveal.
The stars won the latest series of the ITV2 dating show but have already decided to go their separate ways after their ‘relationship changed since leaving the villa.’
A source close to the pair has told MailOnline that they have mutually decided they’re ‘better off as friends’ after struggling to make their romance work outside of the show.
In July, Jess and Sammy, both 22, beat favourites Whitney Adebayo and Lochan Nowacki to the title, which came as a shock to many of the voting public.
A source confirmed: ‘Jess and Sammy have called it quits.
Love Island 2023 winners Jess Harding and Sammy Root have split just two months after scooping the £50,000 prize, MailOnline can exclusively reveal
The stars won the latest series of the ITV2 dating show but have already decided to go their separate ways after their ‘relationship changed since leaving the villa’
In July, Jess and Sammy, both 22, beat favourites Whitney Adebayo and Lochan Nowacki to the title, which came as a shock to many of the voting public
‘Things have changed since leaving the villa and Jess has realised they’re better off as friends.’
Jess, who has signed a lucrative contract with fashion brand In The Style since finding fame on the show, is currently in Ibiza with her girlfriends as she recovers from her breakup.
The couple have made red carpet appearances together in recent weeks at the Who Cares Wins Awards as well as the NTAs, but insiders say they were struggling to get on behind the scenes.
Throughout their time on the summer series of Love Island, presented by Maya Jama, Jess and Sammy faced difficulties in their relationship.
In one episode during the Casa Amor loyalty test, Sammy kissed two girls including Amber Wise, who he eventually coupled up with until Jess returned to the villa, and he realised his feelings towards her.
Viewers questioned Sammy’s intentions with Jess after he admitted that she wasn’t his type while the aesthetics practitioner said on occasion, she felt like men took ‘advantage’ of her kind nature.
Despite the odds, they won Love Island, beating show favourite Whitney and her boyfriend Lochan to the cash prize.
MailOnline has contacted Jess’s representatives for comment.
Jess, who has signed a lucrative contract with fashion brand In The Style since finding fame on the show, is currently in Ibiza with her girlfriends as she recovers from her breakup
Throughout their time on the summer series of Love Island, presented by Maya Jama, Jess and Sammy faced difficulties in their relationship
Minutes after their split was revealed, Jess took to her Instagram stories to show ex Sammy what he’s missing, posing in a white bikini as she continued to enjoy her holiday in Ibiza
Some disgruntled viewers were disappointed by the result after Whitney captivated fans, and some believed her relationship with Lochan to be more authentic than the romance between Jess and Sammy.
Ella Thomas and Tyrique Hyde came third in the competition while Molly Marsh and Zach Noble finished the series in fourth place.
Since leaving the villa Sammy has insisted that he is attracted to Jess and he ‘loves’ everything about her curvaceous figure.
He said: ‘The whole way through Love Island I’ve said to Jess that I think she is so beautiful when she’s completely natural.
‘I love everything about Jess’ figure – I’ve made that very clear.’
The couple even joked that they were looking towards marriage and having twin babies together, with Sammy saying he only ever makes someone his girlfriend if he intends on spending the rest of his life with them.
He said: ‘I never ask someone to be my girlfriend if I didn’t see myself marrying them’ while Jess agreed, saying ‘There’s no point thinking you’re going to be with someone for a short time.’
