Why Did Love Island Couple Elma and Sammy Split During TOWIE Filming? Here Is What We Know

Elma Pazar and Sammy Root, who appeared together on the 2025 season of Love Island All Stars and took home a fifth-place finish, have reportedly called it quits.

Their breakup happened during the filming of The Only Way Is Essex (TOWIE) in Portugal, where both are currently cast members, and the split was captured on camera for the show.

Reasons Behind the Split

While the precise reasons for their breakup haven’t been fully revealed, sources suggest it stemmed from a series of arguments.

The 8-year age gap—Elma is 32 and Sammy is 24—was noted as a considerable hurdle, with one insider mentioning that their romance felt like “a gamble” from the beginning, particularly for Elma. Following the split, it seems the couple isn’t on speaking terms anymore.

Emotional and Raw Scenes on TOWIE

The breakup was filmed and is slated to air on ITV and ITVX later in 2025. Insiders have described the scenes as both emotional and raw, as the couple tries to work through their feelings and figure out if they can salvage their relationship.

Despite the breakup, there’s still a strong bond between them, and neither is completely ruling out a possible reconciliation down the line.

Public Signs of Trouble

Before the news broke, Elma stirred up speculation on social media by calling Sammy a “red flag” in a TikTok video, a comment fans saw as indicative of some underlying tension in their relationship.

Still, Elma had previously spoken fondly of their connection, sharing that they maintained healthy boundaries and kept in touch every day, even meeting each other’s families.

Context Within Love Island All Stars

Elma and Sammy aren’t the only couple from the 2025 Love Island All Stars series to have split after the show. Other prominent breakups include Ekin-Su Culculoglu and Curtis Pritchard, as well as Gabby Allen and Casey O’Gorman.

The only couple from that season believed to still be together is Grace Jackson and Luca Bish.