Why did Sammy and Jess split up before Love Island: All Stars? Details explored

Sammy Root and Jess Harding first met on Love Island season 10, where they were paired together and eventually won the show in 2023. Sammy entered the villa as a bombshell, and while he explored different connections, he ultimately recoupled with Jess.

They became a couple, said "I love you," to each other and won the season together. However, just three months after leaving the villa, the couple announced their breakup in October 2023. Sammy expressed his disappointment, stating,

"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."

Meanwhile, Jess mentioned that they were "very different" and "behave differently," as the reason for their split. Sammy Root returned to Love Island: All Stars 2025 as a bombshell.

---

What led to Love Island stars Sammy and Jess's breakup?

Sammy and Jess started their journey on season 10 of the show. Jess was part of the original cast, while Sammy entered later as a bombshell.

Despite moments of uncertainty, including his Casa Amor recoupling with Amber Wise, Sammy ultimately committed to Jess. They made their relationship official, said “I love you,” and won the show’s £50,000 prize.

However, by October 2023, three months after leaving the villa, Sammy and Jess announced their split. Sammy shared a statement on Instagram, writing:

"We had the most incredible experience winning Love Island, and I genuinely saw a future with Jess. I was committed and respectful to our relationship."

Sammy Root's statement (Image source via Cosmopolitan)

Jess also addressed the breakup in a Q&A session with followers, she said it has been over a week now since they split, so she was "getting there." They shared a "once-in-a-lifetime experience" together, so "of course" she was sad.

When asked about the reason for the breakup, she responded:

"I really don’t want to go into detail by doing a big statement, but we’re just very different and behave differently, and that’s it."

Reports suggest that Jess ended her relationship with Sammy, allegedly over the phone during a party. Speaking to The Sun, he explained:

"To be totally clear - I at least wanted a face-to-face conversation to see if our relationship could be saved and felt this would be a respectful way forward."

---

Sammy’s return to Love Island: All Stars

After his breakup with Jess, Sammy joined The Only Way Is Essex in 2024, appearing in its 33rd series. Elma, who is also a contestant on Love Island: All Stars, has been part of Towie as well.

While the two haven’t appeared together on screen, they have mutual group of friends. He has since been active on social media, gaining over 350,000 followers on Instagram. Fans can follow him on @sammyrsoot.

Now, Sammy Root returned to Love Island: All Stars, re-entering the villa for another chance at love. In his ITV introduction interview, he reflected on his previous experience, saying,

"It did work out for me the first time, but things changed when I left the villa. Hopefully, this time round, I’ll leave with a relationship that goes the distance."

Sammy reflected on how he has changed since his first appearance on Love Island, explaining that he was previously "immature" and did not always consider the consequences of his actions.

However, he now believes he has grown significantly, transitioning from a "boy to a gentleman."

---

Love Island: All Stars airs on ITV2, with new episodes released daily except Saturdays.