Luca Bish insisted he and girlfriend Gemma Owen were "unbelievable" less than 24 hours before the Love Island stars announced their split after three months of dating.
Luca and Gemma, who finished as runners-up on the hit ITV2 dating show, were the last of the finalists to become an official item when the former fishmonger went to huge lengths to ask her to be his girlfriend with a romantic gesture on August 29.
The couple looked smitten since leaving the Spanish villa as Gemma looked to grow her business OG Beachwear - which she wore on the show - as well as signing a lucrative six-figure deal with fashion retailer PrettyLittleThing.
Rumours of a potential split have circulated in recent weeks and Luca, 23, attended the TV Choice Awards on Monday on his own and also made an appearance at the ITV Palooza without Gemma at London's Royal Festival Hall on Tuesday evening.
The couple announced their split on Wednesday evening with posts on their respective Instagram Stories.
While on the blue carpet last night, Luca was asked about the state of his relationship. He told journalists: "Yeah, unbelievable.
"She was on the phone before I stepped through here today and then I'm back up there tomorrow, so good to see you when we can and that's it."
Luca also spoke about how the long journeys to see one another was "worth it" as well as the prospect of spending their first Christmas together.
He said: "It's worth it when you get up there (to Gemma's home in Chester) because when we plan to see each other its for a few days, not a few hours, if someone lives around the corner you can pop in and see them, which is quite nice because then we spend a lot more quality time together."
He added: "It's our first Christmas as a couple and obviously we want to spend with each other but it depends what family wins the bid."
Speaking at the TV Choice Awards, Luca admitted it would have been "naive" to think he could fall in love when he joined the Love Island villa this summer before falling head over heels for the 19-year-old international dressage rider.
He told On Demand: "Listen, it's called Love Island but I never went in there thinking I'd Gemma, I went in there for a fun time, we had that and on top of that, I've met a girl that I couldn't ask any more from."
Gemma was the first of the couple to announce they would be parting ways less than three months after finishing behind Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Davide Sanclimenti for the Love Island crown.
She said in a statement: "To all my followers, I wanted to let you know that Luca and I are no longer in a relationship.
"It wasn't an easy decision but ultimately this is what is best for both of us right now.
"Many of you have been on this journey with us from the very beginning, and I wanted to thank you for your continued support as we start new chapters."
In a statement shared with The Mirror, Luca revealed that he would have liked to have had time to process the split but was bombarded with a string of messages.
He told us: "I would have liked some time to process this privately but as you all already now know sadly Gemma and I made the mutual decision earlier today to go our separate ways.
"We have been on such a journey together and have made some amazing memories which I will treasure. I can’t thank everyone enough for their support for us as a couple during and after Love Island."
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