Love Island winner Sammy Root shares 'best outcome' after Jess Harding break-up

02 December 2023 , 10:20

1014     0

Love Island winner Sammy Root shares 'best outcome' after Jess Harding break-up

Sammy Root soared to fame over the summer when he won Love Island 2023 with Jess Harding.

However, just weeks after leaving the ITV2 villa, the couple sadly split. Yet despite being single, Sammy, 22, has insisted he isn't ready to start dating anytime soon and is instead focusing on himself.

Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Sammy said: "Obviously, it didn't work out the best between me and Jess but at the same time, right now, I'm just really focusing on myself. Trying to get the best outcome and enjoying life, and yeah, just working on Sammy really."

Talking about dating, he added: "Right now, it's still very soon, all I'm really bothered about right now is working on myself and having the best sort of outcome for me." However, despite splitting from Jess, Sammy insists that Love Island was the "best experience of his life" and winning the show was a "dream come true".

Sammy Root soared to fame over the summer when he won Love Island 2023 with now ex Jess Harding (Matt Frost/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Sammy said of his time in the villa and whether he'd do another reality TV show again: "Love Island was literally the best experience of my life and I had a lot of fun on there. I actually enjoy being on TV, it's a laugh, I like to watch myself. You know what, I'd never say never. I definitely would consider doing another show."

Love Island's Haris spills on unaired row between Zara and Tanyel

He added of his experience on Love Island: "It was like a dream come true to be on there because I watched the show for years and to be on there was one thing but to win it... even when I won it, I felt like I stood there for like an hour just staring at the wall, thinking: 'Oh my!' I just couldn't believe it. I'm still trying to take it in now, it's mad."

Since leaving the show, Sammy admitted his life has been a "whirlwind" and he has had the "best year of his life". He said: "It's been a whirlwind but it's been an amazing whirlwind. I've literally had the best, probably, whole year in my life really. My whole time in Love Island was amazing and since coming out [the villa], I've been having a lot of fun. A lot of great things looking in the future, it's been a lot of fun so far!"

Sammy insists that Love Island was the "best experience of his life" and winning the show was a "dream come true" (Getty Images)

Since leaving the show, Sammy admitted his life has been a "whirlwind" and he has had the "best year of his life" (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)

Sammy has been using the past few months to do charity work, working to raise awareness of breast cancer, Dogs Trust and is currently planning to work with Mind. He said: "Before the villa, I've always liked to do a bit of charity work and my family also do.

"Getting the big platform that I've got now, I thought straightaway this is something I could definitely put to charity work. So I've been doing a bit of work for breast cancer. I did work for Dogs Trust and I'm currently brainstorming, I want to set myself a challenge to do to raise money for Mind."

*Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.

Olivia Wheeler