31 October 2023 , 18:00
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Davide Sanclimenti and Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu have been on a whirlwind adventure since winning Love Island 2022. The Italian businessman and Turkish actor from Essex, both 29, won over viewers with their firey but passionate relationship.
In the outside world, the pair have continued to have their ups and downs, and dramatically split up over the summer, leaving fans devastated. But all was not as it seemed. The couple, who set to dig for overlooked treasures in Kent on tonight's Celebrity Antiques Roadshow, announced their split in June.
"Ekin-Su and I are no longer together. I am grateful for the memories and opportunities we shared together and I wish her nothing but the best," Davide wrote on his Instagram Stories.
They were together for almost a year before Davide announced they had call time on their fiery romance (Zak Hussein / SplashNews.com)
He said he was "grateful for the memories and opportunities" (Getty Images)He received criticism for his 'cold' delivery and Ekin-Su fans hit out at his phrasing of 'opportunities', accusing him of a 'calculated' move. Ekin-Su remained tight-lipped about the split but when handing a warning to Love Island champions Jess Harding and Sammy Root, she reflected on her own experiences.
Speaking to Daily Mail, she shared: "You need to realise there is a lot of eyes on you and live it privately, have your own space and trust your partner, communicate with your partner, don't rush to live with them straight away. You need to get to know each other like in the villa you know each other but you don't know each other really. Really get to know each other and then when the time is right, move in together and enjoy every moment because it is a great experience and sometimes relationships last forever and you get married and have kids and Love Island is a great platform."
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Writing on Instagram later after some accused her message of hitting back at her former flame, she wrote: "I wasn't taking a 'swipe' at Davide. There's been a lot of speculation over the status of myself and Davide's relationship in recent weeks. Despite the narratives, Davide and I are on good terms. We both care about each other and I think everyone should respect that. Lots of love Ekin."
An insider said at the time suggested that Ekin had been 'blindsided' by Davide's decision to end things. "It's fair to say Ekin is gutted about the split. She has worked really hard to make it work," they said. "She has stood by Davide after a series of cheating rumours, and was surprised when he decided to chuck it all in. The pair have been arguing a lot and while Davide is saying it's a long time coming, Ekin doesn't feel like that."
The former couple awkwardly crossed paths over the summer at events and premieres but set tongues wagging when they were spotted "all over each other" at the ITV summer party before making their way home together. In August, Davide seemingly teased their getting back together by posting a clip of him walking along the beach on his Instagram Stories, before officially confirming their love story was back on.
Davide confirmed he and Ekin-Su were back together with loved-up video on holiday
They shared a romantic dinner for her 29th birthday (Instagram)He wrote: "I've found someone I think I know." He pretended to look around as he walked across the sand, and eventually reunited with Ekin-Su, who was wearing a black bikini, and the loved-up pair shared a sweet hug on camera.
Despite splitting just weeks earlier, Ekin and Davide had jetted off on a lavish holiday to Bodrum, Turkey, to celebrate her 29th birthday. He later shared a post that touched on their breakup, writing: "Despite all the storms, I wanted to make this day special for you... Enjoy the moment, make a wish and blow hard. Happy birthday, @ekinsuofficial" alongside a picture of his beloved drinking a glass of champagne.
After leaving fans speculating what really went on, Davide put an end to the rumours with a candid interview with The Sun just a couple of days ago. The Italian star explained that the couple separated publically after hitting a rough patch in their relationship - but that in private, it wasn't so clear-cut.
He said the break-up was due to not seeing eye to eye on a number of issues and public pressure putting a strain on their romance. "It's a lovely feeling being with Ekin, we probably broke up more publicly but never privately because we have always been in touch and the love between me and Ekin have always been there," he said.
"Breaking up may happen to people but it never actually happened to us. We never properly privately broke up, it was more to do with the public pressure and we were having some tough months. It was a bit of pressure on both sides," he admitted. On why they kept their relationship a secret, Davide admitted they needed a bit of time to work on their problems, which has helped them grow stronger.
He said: "Of course there were some things that both of us wanted to work on. Nor me nor Ekin were perfect in the relationship and probably needed to have a bit more communication and now I don't regret nothing that happened because I feel stronger and I feel we understand each other. I feel like she's a lot more nice to me in certain situations and understands me more and at the same time I try to put myself in her shoes in certain situations.
"There is more of an understanding with each other. I guess it has made us stronger and everything happens for a reason." The reality TV star revealed that he plans to move back in with Ekin-Su, after previously moving out of their home after their split earlier this year.
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"We are planning on moving back in together," he revealed. "We feel comfortable in the situation because it's like we have two houses. Whenever we are in Manchester, she is in Manchester with me and whenever we are down in Essex, we are in Essex together. It very rarely happens that I am in Manchester and she is in Essex."