Jess Harding and Sammy Root are separated, two months after the two won season 10 of the dating game reality TV show, Love Island UK.
Sammy confirmed that the two were longer together shortly after breakup rumours surfaced online. “Yes, we had a private conversation but this was left up in the air as Jess is still away and we haven’t had a chance to speak in person,” he wrote on his Instagram Stories Oct. 3. “For me to then see this today via the media that we had officially broken up came as a total shock.”
He continued, “To be totally clear—I at least wanted to see if our relationship could be saved and felt this would be the respectful way forward. We had the most incredible experience winning Love Island and I genuinely saw a future with Jess.”
The 22-year-old added that he “was committed and respectful to the relationship,” though “things don’t always work out the way you’d hope for.”
“Despite how all this has played out today, I think Jess is an amazing woman,” he wrote, “and genuinely wish her the best.”
Jess has not publicly spoken out about the breakup, but she did share several photos from her trip to Ibiza amid news of the split. One mirror selfie posted on Instagram Stories Oct. 3 showed the 23-year-old rocking a white bikini, while she snapped a picture of the beach in another post.
Jess Harding and Sammy Root love story began on the fifth day of Love Island UK‘s filming, when Sammy entered the villa and chose Jess as his date. They continued to partner up throughout their time on the island, with the one exception during the competition’s third week, when they were banned from coupling together after a group vote, and ultimately took home the top prize in July.
“I never ask someone to be my girlfriend if I didn’t see myself marrying them,” Sammy said in a joint interview with OK! magazine in August, with Jess adding, “I agree.”
As she explained, “There’s no point thinking you’re going to be with someone for a short time.”