Yahoo News Love Island 2023 winner Sammy Root speaks out on Jess Harding split
Love Island star Sammy Root has spoken about his breakup from Jess Harding, revealing that the pair are "doing fine".
The duo coupled up earlier this year in the tenth series of the ITV reality show, eventually going on to be crowned champions as they topped the public vote in the series finale.
The pair subsequently broke up earlier this month, with Sammy saying the news came as a shock, but he has revealed in a new interview that he is now adapting to single life.
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"At the end of the day it was an amazing experience me and Jess shared on the show," he told The Mirror. "Winning it was a cherry on the top. We got out and we had a lot of fun and we kind of ended things on nice terms.
"I still wish her the best and I think she does [for] me. I saw her at the Pride of Britain [Awards] the other day, we said hello. It is just one of those things. I think we are both doing absolutely fine."
The breakup appeared to be less smooth at the time, with Sammy revealing that he had seen a future with Jess, writing in a statement on Instagram: "I thought I would come online to address today's news about me and Jess.
"Yes we had a private conversation regarding our relationship but this was left up in the air as Jess is still away and we haven't had a chance to speak in person. For me to then see today via the media that we had officially broken up came as a total shock."
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He added: "I genuinely saw a future with Jess. I was committed and respectful to our relationship. Unfortunately, things don't always work out the way you'd hoped.
"Despite how this has all played out today, I think Jess is an amazing woman and genuinely wish her all the best."
Jess subsequently released her own statement, saying that she was "sad" about the breakup but that she and Sammy were "different" in terms of their personalities and behaviour.
Love Island airs on ITV2 and streams on ITVX.
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