Snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan has reportedly split from his fiancée Laila Rouass after a relationship of over 12 years.
O’Sullivan, 48, who was knocked out of the BetVictor English Open on Tuesday, is said to have spent little time with the actress, 53.
Just last month, Footballer’s Wives star Rouass was spotted without her engagement ring during an appearance on the show This Morning.
According to insiders, work has been a source of tension between them this year, as Ronnie has been making extensive trips abroad for competitions and Laila has been focusing on her acting career.
A friend told The sun: ‘They went in different directions.’
The couple split briefly after a decade-long relationship, but then got back together. Insiders hope the current split will be “a short-term break, like in 2022.”
Snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan has reportedly split from his fiancée Laila Rouass after more than 12 years (pictured November 2023)
O’Sullivan was knocked out of the BetVictor English Open on Tuesday
The couple split briefly after a decade together, but then got back together. Insiders hope this current breakup will be ‘a short-term hiatus, like in 2022’
‘Ronnie and Laila have thrown themselves into their relationship again after their break-up a few years ago,’ they add.
‘He continued to post pictures of them together at home online and said romantic things on special occasions, but that has now come to an end.
“They’ve tried so hard, but they just can’t do it. There’s a lot of love between them, but they’ve gone in different directions and have admitted it’s over.”
MailOnline has contacted its representatives for comment.
The actress, who has starred in Holby City, Footballer’s Wives and EastEnders, was spotted without her engagement ring during an appearance on the show This Morning.
She has been wearing the ring since 2013, when O’Sullivan gave her the ring, a year after they started dating.
Their relationship blossomed in 2011 after Ronnie called Laila to come and view his house that had recently gone on the market and was given a tour by his father Ronnie O’Sullivan Sr.
“It happened by accident,” she said earlier. “I was being shown around his house by Ronnie’s father, who told his son he wanted to meet me. Ronnie called the realtor, a friend of mine, and asked me out through her.
Laila is best known for her portrayals of Amber Gates in Footballers’ Wives (pictured in 2003) and Sahira Shah in Holby City
King Charles meets Laila and Ronnie at the British Asian Trust Dinner, Windsor Castle in 2013
‘When he said he played snooker I said, ‘Yeah, but what does he do for a living?’ I’d never heard of him because I’m not interested in sport at all, but Ronnie convinced me to try snooker.’
Then their whirlwind romance began and the following year they got engaged.
Of their long engagement, Laila told the Mirror in 2019: ‘I should really be preparing myself for a wedding. At the moment we’ve put it on the back burner and are enjoying our time, so there’s no rush.’
But the couple split after ten years and Laila announced this to shocked fans.
“After almost a decade of love and memories, Ronnie and I have separated,” she wrote on Instagram in February 2022. “Peace and love to you all. Laila X.”
However, the separation did not last long and in April Laila was spotted wearing her engagement ring again.
In May, after a month of rumors and speculation, the two confirmed their reconciliation, after which they went on vacation.
The actress said last year that open communication brought them back together after their split.
“We found our way back, we just worked it out. When I announced it, we had been apart for almost eight months at that point.
‘Talking is so underrated. If you can sit down and say how you feel and what you want as you get older, that’s a lot easier to say.’
Meanwhile, O’Sullivan admitted after his defeat to China’s He Guoqiang on Tuesday that the end of his snooker career was near.
“I don’t have much time left, I’m not going to deny that. I’m not playing well enough, there’s no point in worrying about it. I’ve just accepted it and that’s actually quite nice,” he said.
“I’m awful, it’s embarrassing. I miss so many balls. I can’t get away from it, poor thing, but I can’t help it,” he added.
‘I’ve missed balls over the last four or five years and every now and then I might miss a few less, and still get a few results.
‘I don’t care, I’m just here to fulfill my obligations to my sponsors, to get away from home for a while, to travel.’