Why did Curtis Pritchard and Maura Higgins split?
25 January 2021, 19:43
What happened between Curtis and Maura? And why did the Love Island couple split? Here's what we know...
Curtis Pritchard is appearing on the latest series of Celebs Go Dating, which is taking place in a mansion this year.
But as the Love Island star attempts to find ‘The One’, let’s take a look back at his high profile split with Maura Higgins…
What happened between Curtis Pritchard and Maura Higgins?
Curtis, 24, met Maura, 30, while taking part on ITV’s Love Island back in 2019.
The pair weren’t originally paired up, but sparks flew after Curtis broke up with Amy Hart in the villa.
Curtis and Maura went on to finish the show in fourth place, losing out to eventual winners Amber Gill and Greg O’Shea.
After leaving heading back to England together, these two looked as though their relationship was going from strength to strength.
Read More: Married at First Sight Australia season 6: Where are all the couples now?
But things took a turn at the beginning of 2020, when Curtis was accused of cheating - something which he strongly denies.
When Maura took part on Dancing On Ice in January of last year, and when Curtis stopped appearing in the crowd to support her, rumours began circulating that they had split.
In March 2020, Maura confirmed that they had split up with a message to her fans on Instagram.
She wrote at the time: “Curtis and I have made the decision to separate.
Curtis confesses that he has slipped into Maura's DMs pre Love Island
“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.”
Later opening up about the real reason she decided to call time on their romance, Maura explained she no longer saw Curtis as her future husband.
She said: "I just felt like I'm 29 and I want somebody that I can see a future with. I'm not getting any younger.
"Curtis and I barely saw each other. At the beginning it was very, very hard because I was so besotted with him, and we never got to see each other."
After initially staying quiet about the break up, Curtis later said he was ‘hurt’, telling The Sun: “At the beginning of March we agreed to go our separate ways. It hurt.
“I wasn’t ready for everyone to know we had split up — I wanted some time. It was a shock to see that she had announced it on social media hours later.”
Who is Maura Higgins’ new boyfriend?
Maura Higgins is now dating fellow Love Islander Chris Taylor, after the pair previously said they were just friends.
Following months of speculation, Maura shared a photo of them on Instagram, telling fans: "He's mine".
Opening up about their relationship, the Irish star recently told The Sun on Sunday: “We’re very much in love and we use the L-word a lot. I look into the future and see myself with a family.
“I don’t want a baby any time soon, but when I’m ready and settled.
"I want to be married before I have a baby, so Chris better hurry up and give me that engagement ring, because I’m not getting any younger.”
But it looks like Curtis isn’t too happy with their new romance, as he recently said he felt ‘betrayed’ by their relationship.
"I feel betrayed by them both – two people I was very close to," he told The Sun.
"When I saw the pictures, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel hurt. I was upset. How long has this truly been going on for?
"You just don't when you are in that situation. You trust what they say. Now her true colours are shown. They said they would never ever be together, and here they are."
