Davide Sanclimenti has broken his silence after Ekin-Su CülcüloÄlu announced that they had split up.
CülcüloÄlu shared a statement on Instagram Stories on Monday claiming that she had been the one to decide to call time on the romance.
In his own post however, Sanclimenti said it had been a "joint decision" and that he had been blindsided by her statement, saying that they had planned to post a joint statement following CülcüloÄlu's appearance on The Traitors US.
The Italian model and aspiring fitness expert wrote on his Instagram Stories: "Life sometimes reserves surprises and suddenly wakes you up.
"Ekin and I, just after the ski holidays, decided to go different ways. It was a joint decision but I was waiting to make it public to respect her time in the show. I don't know why the agreed statement changed last minute.
"I agree it was a beautiful story even with its ups and downs like all couples. I loved every moment, from the first time I knew her in the Villa until life outside. I really believed in us and saw a future for us. But sometimes in life people need to grow apart. Is just the direction of life. I will treasure our moments forever."
He concluded: "Now it's time to focus on myself. I love you all always, thank you for the unconditional support everyone showed me from the beginning. Davide". (sic)
The former couple met while taking part in the eighth series of ITV2's Love Island, which aired in 2022.
They were coupled-up for much of the series and despite experiencing their own share of drama, won the hearts of viewers who crowned them the eventual winners in August 2022.
Two months after they won, they revealed that they were moving in together, however by the following June they had announced that they had split, only to get back together three months later.
Advising fans of the decision to call it quits for a second time, CülcüloÄlu penned: "The last 18 months have been a rollercoaster of ups and downs, just like every relationship. Davide and I both wanted to make this relationship work as we cared deeply for each other," she told her 3.5m followers.
"Unfortunately, I have recently made the decision to end our relationship and to go our separate ways. Breakups are never easy for any couple, and we hope that our privacy will be respected at this time. I enjoyed our time together and will cherish the memories we made."
She added: "Thank you for your continued support. It's been so lovely to have you follow our Love Island journeys together since the villa and we hope you'll continue to follow our careers as we go off in our own directions."
