Former Love Island winner Jess Harding has opened up on the prospect of dating again following her split from Sammy Root.
The reality TV personality won this year's summer season of the ITV show alongside Sammy, with the pair splitting just two months after being crowned winners.
Speaking to Digital Spy at ITV Palooza last night (November 21), Jess shared her thoughts on jumping back into the dating pool and what her life has been like since leaving the Love Island villa.
What to Read Next
"Crazy! But positive," she said. "I think, I'm just focusing on myself and my work at the moment. That's the main thing.
Related: Love Island's Wes Nelson back in hospital with "scary" mystery health condition
"So I'm getting a new shop with my business. Obviously, I've launched my new training academy."
Jess, who owns an aesthetics clinic, said that she "can't be bothered dating" following her stint on the show and recent break-up, adding: "I don't even have time to get my lashes done, let alone see a boy."
Addressing rumours of their split last month, Sammy confirmed the reports and wished Jess "all the best" moving forward.
"We had the most incredible experience winning Love Island and I genuinely saw a future with Jess... Unfortunately, things don't always work out the way you'd hoped," he said at the time.
Related: Love Island's Tanyel Revan announces engagement 10 months after show stint
Speaking more recently, Sammy said that although the news had come as a shock to him, they "had a lot of fun and we kind of ended things on nice terms.
"I still wish her the best and I think she does [for] me... It is just one of those things. I think we are both doing absolutely fine."
Speaking about what happened a week after their split during an Instagram Q&A, Jess said: "We shared a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so of course I'm sad."
Love Island airs on ITV2 and streams on ITVX.
Emily is an experienced freelance entertainment writer and editor, reporting on all things TV, film, soaps and showbiz. An NCTJ-qualified journalist, with a First Class Honours degree in Journalism from the University of Sussex, Emily is a former Deputy News Editor and Evening News Editor at Digital Spy. She has previously worked at Hello magazine, BBC South News and GoodtoKnow.
A small and big-screen obsessive – with subscriptions to every TV and film service under the sun – Emily knows her movie stars from soap stars, and is always clued up on the latest reality show dumping, just-dropped trailer or off-screen spat. She's interviewed a number of celebrities over the years, with highlights including The Masked Singer host Joel Dommett and GMB's Kate Garraway (who "loved" her trousers).
Emily counts Sharon Horgan and Julia Davis as her TV heroes, and is a loyal Wes Anderson fan. LinkedIn
