Paige Turley has finally lifted the lid on her shock split from long-term boyfriend and former co-star Finley Tapp.
Love Island fans were left utterly blindsided when the 2020 winning couple announced the news last April that they'd gone their separate ways.
At the time, the duo had become one of the longest-standing successful couple to leave the dating show villa together.
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Following their on-screen triumph, Milton Keynes semi-pro footballer Finn and Scottish singer Paige shacked up together in Manchester, with their relationship appearing to go from strength to strength over the next three years.
So much so, that the pair often told press of their plans to one day tie the knot and welcome a family together.
So, you can only imagine how stumped fans were when they announced their break-up somewhat out of the blue last year - and not to mention, the subsequent shock when they were both announced in the line-up for a brand new series of Ex On The Beach, which kicks off tonight (Tuesday 19 March).
This week, however, ahead of their joint appearance on the show, Paige has sensationally opened up to Tyla about the 'real reason' behind their break-up.
Paige admits that though there wasn't a specific incident that fuelled their split, her relationship with Finn took away part of her identity.
"There wasn't a point when it was like, 'That's it'," she tells us. "And I think that's probably what made it all so difficult. It made the break-up so much harder.
"We had nothing to be angry at each other about."
Paige, 26, adds that 'coming from Love Island' with new man Finn back in 2020 eventually made her feel as though she'd become 'half of something'.
"It was always 'Finn and Paige'. I would go to Scotland for a girls weekend, or he'd go away with the boys, and it'd be like 'Oh, where's Paige?', or 'Where's Finn?'," she explains.
"It was very intense and I struggled with becoming half of something. I was quite independent beforehand."
Adding that she 'loved' living up North with Finn, Paige confesses that the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic - when they could only spend time as a twosome - had a long-standing effect on their relationship, which they were unable to recover from.
"That also made things intense and difficult," she explained. "It took its toll after a while.
"It made it difficult because, when you're breaking up, you do still have fond memories of each other. It wasn't like we were arguing. There wasn't anything we could hold onto that made it easier."
Finn then went on to agree with Paige that, though it was emotionally arduous to move out and begin living separate lives, it was needed in order for the couple to rediscover their independence.
"It was definitely something we needed - to part ways," he admits. "I just don't think I had it in me to actually do it.
"Looking back, I'm almost glad that it did, because we've had time to go away and work on ourselves individually.
"Everything happened for a reason - as cliche as that sounds."
MTV viewers will see the former flames reunite for the first time since their split in tonight's premier of the new holiday dating series.
The new series of Ex On The Beach lands on Tuesday 19 March, 9.00pm. You can also catch up on with Ex On The Beach boxsets on Paramount+ for your full drama fix.
Topics: Love Island, Sex and Relationships, Reality TV, TV And Film, Celebrity
Rhianna Benson