Why Love Island couples can’t handle the ‘six month itch’ as Maura Higgins and Curtis Pritchard split

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LOVE Island couples always manage to capture hearts across the nation during their time on air, striking up deep connections with each other within a matter of days.

But while some have managed to go the distance since leaving the villa, others have fallen around the half year hurdle – sparking wild fan theories that they may sign some sort of ‘6 month dating contract’ after the show.

Maura Higgins and Curtis Pritchard have called time on their relationship

Everyone from Olivia Attwood and Chris Hughes to Megan Barton Hanson and Wes Nelson announced they’d parted ways after around six to seven months together.

And now, as Maura Higgins and Curtis Pritchard have confirmed they managed the same length of time after leaving the ITV show, fans have once again taken to Twitter to share their sensational theories.

Dancing On Ice star Maura, 29, broke the news on Instagram this week, as she admitted her and the professional dancer, 24, “couldn’t make it work”.

Seeing the news, one fan wrote on Twitter: “Congratulations to Maura and Curtis on fulfilling their contract! How long until the Molly Mae and Tommy contract expires, couple of weeks? A month! I can’t wait! #LoveIsland.”

Curtis and Maura appeared very loved up on the 2019 show

And another added: “Curtis and Maura broke up. Whew that contract was long af.”

However, some fans jumped to their defence immediately, with one writing: “I don’t think contracts have anything to do with it. Molly-Mae and tommy together longer than Maura and Curtis so surely if it goes on contracts then Molly-Mae and Tommy’s is up already…”

Despite continued denials of a ‘contract’ from Love Island, it’s far from the first time fans have jumped to the theory – and it cropped up several times following past break-ups too.

Of course, it’s much more likely they have each split for other reasons – with many Love Island couples having struggled with distance after leaving the villa, or simply finding it hard to find time for each other amid very hectic work schedules.

Here, we take a look at the couples who just couldn’t handle the ‘six month itch’…

Josh Denzel and Kaz Crossley

Kaz Crossley and Josh Denzel went their separate ways last year

Josh Denzel and Kaz Crossley announced their split on Instagram at the start of last year, around six months after they appeared head over heels for each other in the villa.

Make-up artist Kaz broke the news to fans, telling them: “Sometimes things don’t go they way you planned, but you have to be grateful for the journey.

“Thank you for everything especially showing me how to love myself again.”

Their romance was the hot topic of the 2018 series after Josh famously ditched Georgia Steel for her.

While their split appeared very amicable at first, things turned decidedly less so a few months later, after Kaz moved on with 2017 Love Island star Theo Campbell.

Josh and Kaz’s split turned nasty after a few months

In what appeared to be a dig at his ex, Josh hinted she’d moved on after just three weeks in a social media post in May.

Commenting on a post which read: “Girls that move on before it’s been 3 years after a break up,” Josh wrote: “Three years? How about three weeks?!”

Seeing the post, Kaz then screenshotted it and wrote alongside it: “Ppl move so brave after they’ve blocked you.”

Kaz recently split from Theo after a year together.

Megan Barton Hanson and Wes Nelson

Megan and Wes looked head over heels in the villa
They initially split on good terms because they were at ‘very different stages’ in their lives

Megan Barton Hanson and Wes Nelson may have looked like love’s young dream on the show in 2018, but they sadly officially called it quits just over six months after leaving the villa.

Speaking to Grazia magazine at the time, Megan insisted that their romance had ended on good terms however, but they were just at “very different stages” in their lives.

“I’m 24 and by the time I’m 30 I want to be engaged,” she said at the time. “Wes is only 20. He’s living his best life.”

However, things eventually turned toxic as she criticised his ‘vanilla’ performance in the bedroom

The split began to spark theories that there may have been a contracted time they were advised to stay together, but Megan later blasted the claims, telling the Mail Online: “I can hands down say that it’s not fake… I wish that was the case, I wish it was just a business deal and I could wave goodbye.”

Things took a much more dramatic turn a few months later however, as Megan branded Wes “vanilla” in the bedroom and said he has “a lot to learn”, in an exclusive chat with The Sun.

“I don’t remember Wes really liking sex toys,” she said. “In fact he was pretty vanilla in the bedroom, he was only young though bless him, he’s got a lot to learn.”

The pair were also claimed to have got into a heated row in their North London flat over Wes’s close friendship with Dancing On Ice pro Vanessa Bauer.

Megan has since moved on with girlfriend Chelcee Grimes, while Wes began dating Arabella Chi last year.

Adam Collard and Zara McDermott

Zara and Adam spent their last week together having ‘furious arguments’

By the time Adam Collard and Zara McDermott split in February 2019 – around seven months after the 2018 show too – fans became convinced there must be some truth to the contract theory.

A source close to the couple told The Sun at the time: “Adam and Zara have spent the last week having furious arguments.

“There’s still so much love between them but they have decided for the moment that it’s best to go their separate ways.”

Zara McDermott and Adam Collard’s split fuelled more rumours of a six-month contact
Zara and Adam in happier times on holiday

One fan tweeted: “Are the Love Island contestants in a contract that they may remain in a couple for 6 months after the show ends? V sus that they’re all breaking up recently.”

A reality fan added: “It’s deffo reached the stage in the Love Island contract where the couples don’t have to pretend to be real anymore… 3 breakups in a week ahahahah soooo so fake.”

Seeing the speculation, Eyal Brooker later slammed the claims, and exclusively told The Sun Online that he doesn’t believe the show’s couples are under contract to stay together.

Eyal briefly dated Megan in the villa before she hooked up with Wes.

Olivia Attwood and Chris Hughes

Chris Hughes and Olivia Attwood briefly split before making it official
They struck up a very close romance in Love Island – excelling in the baby challenge

There wasn’t much luck for 2017 couple Olivia Attwood and Chris Hughes either, as she announced they’d briefly split in December that year, around six months after the show.

Speaking a week after a video emerged showing Chris appearing to kiss another woman on a night out, Olivia admitted that the couple had secretly broken up as she tried to figure out her next step.

Chris Hughes and Olivia enjoyed several months happily together outside
The pair even shared a snap from their hotel room

“Obviously last week I was taking some time out from my relationship with Chris to work out what was going on in my head,” she wrote in her new! magazine column at the time.

They then made the split official in February 2018 and things have been turbulent ever since their break up, with Olivia branding her ex “bitter” and Chris clapping back: “So my ex has made digs at me every month since we split.”

Chris has since moved on and found happiness with Little Mix’s Jesy Nelson, while Olivia is engaged to Bradley Dack.

Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer – (briefly)

Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham won their series of Love Island

They had the whole country behind them as they struck up a very sweet romance on Love Island in 2018, but Dani briefly ended the relationship around six months later over a “lack of respect”.

The pair called time on their romance for a brief period, only to rekindle it shortly afterwards.

Dani and Jack have both since moved on following their split – with Jack even having a secret child

They overcame the so-called ‘six month itch’ and remained together until April last year, when Jack eventually wrote on Instagram: “There is no easy way to say this and it isn’t going to be an easy time but me and Dani are not in a relationship anymore.”

He has since welcomed baby Blossom with Casey Ranger, a 29-year-old NHS worker he had been pals with for 10 years. Dani meanwhile has moved on with boyfriend Sammy Kimmence.

Joe Garratt and Lucie Donlan

Lucie Donlan and Joe Garratt briefly split before the six month mark, before making it official
Lucie Donlan and Joe Garratt made a series of public appearances before their split

When it came to 2019 stars Joe Garratt and Lucie Donlan, they briefly split before the six month mark – but despite managing to rekindle the romance, they made the separation official in December 2019.

A source told The Sun Online at the time: “Joe and Lucie have decided to end things between them.

“They’ve been so busy with work lately that it’s made it difficult for them to find time to see each other. They just grew apart.”

Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies (almost…)

Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies won the 2017 series

Love Island 2017 winners Kem and Amber split after just 132 days of dating after a string of rows.

The news came as a big shock to all their fans especially after they had even talked about getting married.

Kem and Amber shocked fans with their split

Amber and Kem also released a statement confirming the sad news to their devastated fans.

It read: “With sadness, we’ve decided to separate. Our schedules made it difficult. We’ll remain good friends.”

They didn’t quite make it to six months however, appearing to dispel the fan theory this time.

Emma-Jane Woodhams and Terry Walsh

Emma and Terry Walsh managed to remain together for eight months
Emma and Terry enjoyed a whirlwind romance

Another couple to defy the fan theory, at least to some extent, was Emma-Jane Woodhams and Terry Walsh, who stayed together for eight months after their show in 2016.

Terry took to Twitter to announce the split in February 2017, insisting that despite the break-up, the pair would remain friends.

He wrote: “For people asking me or who it concerns me n Em have broken up. We’re still friends. One chapter closes another must open” [sic]

Love Island declined to comment when contacted by the Sun Online, however claims of a ‘6 month contract’ have always previously been denied.