28 June 2024 , 18:54
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When former Love Island stars Sammy Root and Jess Harding were crowned winners of the ITV2 show, they looked as though they would follow in the footsteps of Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury.
But just two months after leaving the villa the pair decided to call it quits - and Sammy has now finally admitted that it wasn't his decision. In an exclusive chat with the Mirror, the reality TV star, 23, said despite only being 22 at the time, his age and inexperience had little do with the demise of his relationship. Sammy, who recently took part in the London to Brighton charity cycle on behalf of mental health charity MIND, said that they both decided it was the right thing to do but he was willing to see it through.
He explained: "It wasn't like me sort of saying 'I don't want a relationship' I was still very much like willing to sort of see it through. I wouldn't put that [split] down to like my age because it wasn't me saying 'I want to move on' or 'I want to do this or I want to do that'." Since the couple ended their relationship last October, hope of a reunion doesn't appear to be on the cards as Sammy said they now don't speak.
Love Island's Sammy Root says it wasn't his decision to split with Jess Harding (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)He continued: "No communication. I see Jess at the odd event because we get invited to a lot of the same places but for me personally and for her, we're very much like, got a mutual respect. We're just happy to say hello, wish each other the best really." While Sammy was in his prime at 22 when he first entered the villa, it has now come to light that his age also went against him.
He added: "I've only just turned 23 now but being young on the show, obviously it gives you some disadvantages towards like the girls on there. The majority of them are either older or they want an older boy. For me personally, I fee like at 22 you are a man but at the same time I feel like I'm still at an age where I'm going to make mistakes. I'm on there at 22 and you've got people on there that are like 28 and they're sort of comparing my actions to theirs."
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Sammy and Jess walked away with £50,000 after they pipped Whitney Adebayo and Lochan Nowacki to the post to be crowned winners. But it looks as though the couple tried to put on a brave face despite knowing their relationship was in trouble, as they were seen at a number of events including the NTAs, looking happier than ever.
And in September last year, Jess said: "I feel like I’m ready to enjoy the outside world with Sammy, it’s been an amazing opportunity and I am grateful to start it and finish it as a winner so very happy." Speculation over the fragility of their relationship started to gather pace as fans noticed they had not posted together on social media for some time. And this was a huge change from their daily updates.