A handy timeline of Sammy and Jess’s very messy break-up after Love Island

Never mind studying for your degree. We’ve got to revise who all the Love Island: All Stars 2025 cast are. The lore runs so deep. Sammy Root is heading into the All Stars villa as a super surprising bombshell. So, here’s a helpful timeline of what even happened with him and Jess Harding. Consider it a crib sheet for when this all gets dragged up again on the show.

Sammy and Jess won Love Island in July 2023, btw

Because let’s be real, everything post-Molly Mae and Tommy sort of blurred into one. Sammy and Jess didn’t have the easiest time in the villa. Sammy temporarily ditched Jess for a Casa Amor girl. But they recoupled and miraculously won the show.

Their relationship lasted a grand total of two months after the show

Jess and Sammy smiling away at the Love Island 2023 reunion
(Image via ITV)

The couple seemed so loved up over the summer. Sammy met Jess’s extended family at a barbecue in August. Sammy got to know Jess’s friends at an axe-throwing class. Each to their own, I guess. They rocked up to the Love Island reunion hand in hand.

They split up and got back together twice in September

In the autumn, Love Island viewers started stressing that their relationship was on the rocks. They didn’t appear in each other’s pics on social media after 6th September. Sammy also made a snarky TikTok about men being jelly of their girlfriends.

Sammy has now revealed what exactly went on with them in this time period.

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He explained on the Staying Relevant podcast: “Long story short, we spoke and like for a week or something, things were all over the place. It’s a lot when you come out [of the villa]. A lot of pressure I think Jess was struggling more with it.

Sammy spilling tea
(Image via YouTube)

“We kind of on the phone said, in the heat of an argument, ‘Oh, we’re done, blah blah blah’. We did that a couple of times, and ended up sorting it out.”

Sammy and Jess broke up for good in October 2023

On 3rd October, the tabloids announced the couple had split.

A source told the MailOnline: “Jess and Sammy have called it quits. Things have changed since leaving the villa and Jess has realised they’re better off as friends.”

He only found out Jess was done with him after reading about it online

Sammy found out about his own break-up during his morning news scroll. Jess was on holiday in Ibiza.

He explained on Staying Relevant: “The third time we did it, she was in Ibiza, so I thought, when she gets back, even if we meet and talk and say, ‘Listen, it’s done,” then fine. Whatever. I thought, we’ll sort it out. Then I woke up a couple of days later and saw it in the press. And I was like, ‘Oh. Alright'”.

Sammy confirmed their split on the evening of 3rd October. He wrote a very lengthy (and slightly shady?) statement for his Instagram story. It said: “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.

“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 the respectful way forward.

“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. 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.”

(Image via Instagram)

Jess was spotted with a mystery man in Ibiza

Meanwhile, Jess was out living her best life in Ibiza. She posted a load of holiday pics, including one with the caption, “Self love era 🧡”.

Photos emerged of a mystery man carrying her around a pool in Ibiza.

Jess did eventually speak about what went down between her and Sammy after the villa. Her responses seem to be rather less complimentary? A Love Island viewer asked her on an Instagram Q&A what happened. Jess said, “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.”

In the days that followed, Jess and Sammy purged each other from their Instagram pinned posts and story highlights. Sammy and Ron started following each other again.

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Featured images via ITV and Instagram.