"We are both going through a very tough time with this atm..."

Maura Higgins and Chris Taylor have confirmed their split. The Love Island stars, who appeared on the 2019 instalment of the ITV2 reality dating show, began dating long after the series ended after forming a solid friendship on the programme. Chris confirmed today that the pair have since parted ways. "After some very heartfelt conversations, myself and Maura are very sad to announce that we have decided to part ways," she said. "We are both still on very good terms and this was a mutual decision where nobody had done anything wrong. We will remain friends as we have since day one and I will always be in Maura's corner and have her back. "We are both going through a very tough time with this atm, so please take any speculation with a metric tonne of salt, cos this is the only truth (and as always trolls can kindly fuck off). Thank you for all the love and support you've given us, it's been truly appreciated." Maura shared her own statement confirming the split, saying that she and Chris "still love, care, and respect each other deeply." She went on: "From the minute we met we have been very close friends and that will never change. There is no regret. Life is about raking chances. We wanted to make this work but have realised we are better being friends." Maura and Chris confirmed their relationship late last year. During their time on Love Island the pair remained close friends, their relationship eventually blossoming outside of the villa. https://www.instagram.com/p/CN-nBRAHMIA/ Maura initially left the villa with Curtis Pritchard. The pair made it to the final and finished fourth, eventually beginning a relationship that lasted eight months. Maura announced their split last year, stating: "Curtis and I have made the decision to separate. We enjoyed a great experience from our time in the villa and want to thank everyone for supporting our relationship. “There is no easy way to get through a break up and no bad feeling on either side. We tried to make it work but it wasn’t to be, and I wish Curtis nothing but the best for the future." Chris, who entered the villa a few weeks after Maura, left the villa with Harley Brash. He also emerged as a keen favourite among fans.