You remember the summer of 2022. It was impossible to escape them. Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Davide Sanclimenti didn’t just win Love Island; they basically owned the British cultural zeitgeist for a solid three months. They were the "Italian Stallion" and the "Turkish Delight," a couple so fiery and unpredictable that 63% of the public—an absolute landslide—voted for them to take the crown. We all thought we were watching a once-in-a-generation romance.
But honestly? The "Ekinde" fairytale wasn't exactly a smooth ride once the cameras stopped rolling.
By the time 2024 rolled around, the dream was officially dead. The breakup wasn't just a quiet "we've decided to remain friends" Instagram story. It was messy. It involved claims of "endless deceit," arguments in the middle of Rome, and a very public fallout that left fans wondering if the whole thing had been a bit of a pressure cooker from the start.
The Breaking Point for Davide and Ekin-Su
So, why did they actually split? It wasn't one single thing. It was a slow burn of public pressure mixed with some pretty serious trust issues. Ekin-Su has since been quite vocal about the "toxic" nature of the relationship, admitting that she was often more invested than he was.
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In early 2024, Ekin-Su dropped the final bombshell. She released a statement saying she’d made the decision to end things for good. Davide, never one to stay quiet, immediately hit back, claiming he’d been blindsided by the timing and that she’d changed their "agreed" statement last minute.
What went wrong behind the scenes?
- The Rome Incident: According to Ekin-Su, a family trip to Italy turned sour when Davide allegedly disrespected her mother during a heated argument. She described being left "shaking" in the middle of a street in Rome after he stormed off.
- The "Cheating" Rumors: From the jump, there were whispers. Davide was spotted in taxis with other women; Ekin-Su found "explicit" messages on his laptop. While they tried to put on a united front for the brand deals and the travel shows, the foundation was clearly cracked.
- Public vs. Private: Davide later admitted on a podcast that they "broke up more publicly than privately." Essentially, they were still talking and hooking up while telling the world they were over, or vice versa. It was a cycle they couldn't break until the start of last year.
Life After the Villa: Where Are They Now?
Fast forward to 2026, and the two have moved in completely opposite directions. It's kinda wild to see how much has changed since they were sharing that villa bed in Mallorca.
Ekin-Su has arguably become one of the most successful exports in Love Island history, but not necessarily in the way people expected. She didn't just stick to the "influencer" path. She went back to her roots in acting, appearing in international projects and even speaking at a United Nations panel on leadership in 2025. She’s reinvented herself as a "storyteller," moving away from the reality TV drama that made her famous. Her 2025 appearance on Love Island: All Stars felt like a full-circle moment—she finished in third place, proving people still love her, even without Davide by her side.
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Davide, meanwhile, has leaned into the "lifestyle" and entrepreneur side of things. He finally "hard-launched" a new relationship with a woman named Iris in early 2025. While Ekin-Su was back in the villa for All Stars, Davide was posting cozy ski-trip photos from Utah, making it very clear he had moved on.
The Career Pivot
It's worth noting that the "Ekinde" brand was worth millions. When they split, there was a lot of talk about whether their individual careers would survive.
Ekin-Su proved the doubters wrong. She walked for Helen Anthony at London Fashion Week and became a fixture at major global events like the Venice Film Festival. She even wrote a book, Be Your Own Best Friend, which dealt with the heartbreak of her public breakup. It was a smart move. It allowed her to take control of the narrative rather than letting the tabloids do it for her.
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What Fans Get Wrong About Their Relationship
The biggest misconception is that it was all for show. Some critics claimed they were a "PR couple" who stayed together for the money. If you look at the sheer intensity of their arguments—both on and off screen—that seems unlikely. It felt more like two very passionate, very different people who were "addicted" to each other but ultimately incompatible in the real world.
Davide has admitted he sought attention elsewhere because he felt "down" in the relationship. Ekin-Su has admitted she ignored red flags because she wanted the fairytale to be real. It’s a classic story of "right person, wrong time," or maybe just "right for TV, wrong for real life."
Moving Forward: Lessons from the Ekinde Saga
If there's one thing we can learn from the rise and fall of Davide and Ekin-Su, it's that reality TV fame is a double-edged sword. It gives you a platform, but it also puts a microscopic lens on your flaws.
- Trust your gut: Ekin-Su has spoken at length about how she knew things were wrong but stayed because of the public expectation.
- Reinvention is possible: You don't have to be defined by a relationship you had at 27. Ekin-Su’s shift into philanthropy and high fashion is a blueprint for other reality stars.
- Boundaries matter: Both stars eventually realized that sharing every "monthly dump" on Instagram wasn't healthy for a struggling romance.
If you’re still following their journeys, the best way to support them now is to engage with their solo projects. Check out Ekin-Su’s advocacy work with the British Red Cross or Davide’s fitness ventures. The "Ekinde" era is over, but the individual chapters they are writing now are actually much more interesting.
The next time a "perfect" couple wins Love Island, remember Davide and Ekin-Su. Remember that what we see on a 60-minute edit is rarely the full story of what happens when the suitcases are unpacked and the cameras are turned off.