AS YOU MIGHT have heard, Love Island winners Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer have called it a day on their reality-show-to-real-life romance. Sob.
In a now-deleted post to her Instagram Story, Dani said the pair would remain friends despite the conscious uncoupling. (Again, it bears reminding that the show was not called ‘Friend Island’.)
“Jack and I have sadly decided to part ways,” she said. “It’s been an incredible six months and we will always have a place in our hearts for each other, but sadly we’ve come to the realisation that it’s not meant to be long-term.
“We both plan to stay friends, I hope you’ll all understand. Love, Dani xx.”
A source told The Sun: “When they left the villa they really thought they would stay together forever, but reality soon set in and things started to get strained.
They came out to a whirlwind of publicity and after a while things started to get to them and the cracks appeared.
“They are both incredibly busy and they have decided to call time on their romance.”
For many, the split has come as a shock. The poems, the hot air balloon ride, the fake baby minding … All that for it to be thrown away with a flippant social media post? Say it isn’t so.
But dear reader, perhaps we weren’t paying close enough. Perhaps, to borrow a misquote from True Detective, the evidence was in front of us this entire time…
… Starting with Dani’s recent social media activity.
Dani hasn’t liked any of Jack’s Instagram posts since 22 November – not even the one that she’s in with him, in which they announced themselves as social hosts for the National Television Awards.
Meanwhile, Jack was liking Dani’s pictures up until a day ago. Hmmm.
Maybe it has something to do with all those hints Dani’s villa bestie Georgia Steele was dropping a couple of weeks ago?
Early last month, tabloid reports claimed Lil’ G was supporting Dani amidst a “rocky patch” with Jack.
She told The Sun: “I’m going to support whatever decision she makes.
We work really well together. I bring the energy and she calms me. It is not my place to say what’s going on.”
Grand and vague there G, thanks.
Let’s also talk about the potential clash of their brand deals.
Following her time in the villa, Dani released an extremely successful collab with e-retailer, InTheStyle – an endeavour which Jack supported publicly.
However, he then began working as an ambassador of sorts with rival brand ISawItFirst, along with their dog, Sandy.
Bit of an odd one, now? While cheating rumours are circulating thick and fast, perhaps this was the contentious relationship that caused it all to end? Or perhaps it was simply done and dusted already, and Jack accepted an offer he couldn’t refuse, regardless of Dani’s own personal commitments?
What about their Christmas special? And their own reality show?
So, if you’ve seen the trailer, you’ll have seen Jack and Dani looking more loved up than ever ahead of the Love Island Christmas reunion special, which wrapped filming a few weeks ago.
The show is due to air on 17 December, and there’s been no word on a reshoot. We may well have to suffer through them staring adoringly into each other’s eyes, knowing well love that it is (or was), all a lie.
Their own reality show slated to air on ITVBe is even more up in the air. Apparently, Dani was allergic to having their every move filmed (how does that Alanis Morissette song go again?), but especially loathed the cameras documenting herself and Jack’s scraps.
What else might have tipped them over the edge?
If you remember their time at the Love Island villa (which you do, fondly, but now also with a tinge of sadness, probably), you might recall Dani and Jack having a barney over the lie-detector test.
Following a line of questioning which included one concerning Women Of The Outside World, Dani said in the Beach Hut:
“Obviously with Jack, ever since I’ve been in here, you know, it hasn’t been easy the stuff I’ve always heard from the outside.
His past, the girl that he was with was in here, she explained how he was to her and it was awful for me, it was not the Jack I knew.
“I completely get that I probably have changed Jack… Everyone wants to be that girl. I want to be that girl when I get out of here, and have all that. I don’t want my boyfriend’s head to be turned. Does any girl?”
There was also the issue of Casa Amor, in which Jack’s ex Ellie was brought in. In a postcard sent to the original villa, Dani was lead to believe that they were sharing a bed together. But let’s not focus on that too much. It’s genuinely too upsetting.
Will they get back together?
Honestly, it’s hard to say. The deletion of her initial break-up announcement brings some hope – perhaps it was made in haste? Or, you could be more cynical and put it down to the fact her DMs were probably hopping.
Looking back on past winners of the show, it doesn’t bode well for them. 2017′s winners Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies split up – earlier, around the same time last year.
“It is with sadness that we have decided to separate,” they said at the time. “We fell in love in the villa and want to thank all the fans of the show for supporting us.”
The winners of season two, Cara De La Hoyde and Nathan Massey, actually went on to get engaged and have a baby together, though they did briefly split in between.
Meanwhile, season one winners Jessica Hayes and Max Morley split six weeks after leaving the villa.
The heart wants what it wants – or doesn’t want, in this case.
To conclude – is love real?
Following their split? Unfortunately, no. It might be again come June 2019, but that remains to be seen.
