Love Island champion Jess Harding has openly criticized her former partner Sammy Root’s performance on All Stars as she gears up for her own appearance on the popular ITV2 series. The 25-year-old was set to join the cast in South Africa this week for the first episode, but ITV recently announced a delay in filming due to local wildfires.
Although ITV has not disclosed the rescheduled premiere date for All Stars, Jess will be part of the lineup alongside other familiar faces such as Whitney Adebayo, Millie Court, Ciaran Davies, and Shaq Muhammad. Jess, who previously won Love Island with Sammy in 2023 before their breakup, will now be following in his footsteps on All Stars.
Sammy, who competed in the second season of All Stars and finished in fifth place with Elma Pazar, split from his on-screen romance just four months after the show, a storyline that aired on TOWIE. Reflecting on Sammy’s All Stars journey, Jess expressed her opinion to The Sun, suggesting that Sammy was overly focused on Elma during his time on the show and did not explore other opportunities like he did in their relationship.
Additionally, Jess remarked that during her own stint on Love Island, she felt others were not as honest with her, contrasting Sammy’s more laid-back approach on All Stars. Despite their past, Jess mentioned that she holds no animosity towards Sammy and would not object to him rejoining the show.
The anticipated return of All Stars, which was scheduled to kick off soon with Maya Jama making a comeback, has been postponed due to the current wildfires in South Africa. According to a source quoted by The Mirror, the crew has been advised to remain in their accommodations for safety reasons.
ITV later issued a statement confirming the delay of All Stars, citing concerns for the health and safety of the cast and crew as the primary reason for postponement. The network assured viewers that Love Island: All Stars will be rescheduled for a later date.
Stay tuned for Love Island: All Stars, airing later this year on ITV2 and ITVX.