Love Island‘s Ekin-Su Cülcülolu has spoken out about her split from Davide Sanclimenti, over a year after they won the £50,000 prize.
The actress thanks her followers for all of their support in the weeks since their breakup was publicised in a touching statement posted on her Instagram Story.
‘Hi everyone, I thought it was time to come back online to thank you so much for all of your messages over the past 2 weeks,’ the 28-year-old wrote.
‘It has shown me what a kind, supportive, strong community I have behind me.’
Ekin-Su explained that she took some ‘much-needed time away’ with her family, which has been ‘really special’ to her.
However, now she feels that it’s time to ‘realign and get back to work’.
‘I have such an exciting year ahead & I want to fully focus on that. I really appreciate your ongoing support. Thank you for cheering me on,’ said the former Dancing On Ice competitor.
Davide, 28, was the first to acknowledge their breakup after rumours, with a statement on his own Instagram Story.
Telling his followers that he and Ekin-Su were ‘no longer together’, the influencer said that he felt ‘grateful’ for ‘the memories and opportunities we shared together’, and he said that he wished her ‘nothing but the best’.
‘I would like for everybody to respect this decision during this difficult time, I will continue to support Ekin in anyway possible,’ he added.
When Ekin-Su and Davide first saw one other on Love Island last year, they rapidly became fan favourites.
Their love had ups and downs, with Ekin-Su getting restless and seeking romance elsewhere until they reconciled.
While Davide was first hesitant to confess the intensity of his feelings, their love for one another was obvious to everybody, and it seemed certain that they would win the programme and divide the £50,000 prize.