Why did Love Island's Sean Stone and Matilda Draper split?
15 January 2026, 21:10
Love Island's Sean Stone and Matilda Draper found love in 2024, but why did they split? Here's what happened.
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Former Love Island couple Sean Stone and Matilda Draper came third in 2024, but just a month after they returned home to the UK, they shocked fans by announcing their split.
The couple had a turbulent romance, particularly during Casa Amor, when Sean explored strong connections with bombshells Diamanté and Ruby. Although he said he felt like "a little kid in a sweet shop", Sean decided to stick with Matilda at the recoupling.
Sean went on to declare his love for Matilda at the finale, and she expressed similar feelings in return. This left fans excited to see how their relationship would unfold in the outside world, but just a few weeks after the final, they announced their split.
As Sean hopes for a second chance at love on Love Island All Stars, here’s why the couple split.
Why did Sean and Matilda split?
At the time of their split, Sean and Matilda both took to Instagram stories to post similar statements. Although the pair both stated that they were "good friends" and were grateful for the "incredible experience", they did not provide a specific reason for the breakup.
However, not long after their split, Sean told his Instagram followers in a video that their busy schedules was the reason behind their breakup. He explained that they tried to make it work, but couldn’t dedicate enough time to each other.
Sean also hinted at a potential reconciliation in the future, saying: "She’s gonna absolutely smash it and, you never know, down the line... just gotta see what happens. But right now it’s for the best.”
Love Island's Sean Stone confirms he and Matilda have split
Matilda had remained relatively quiet about their breakup until last year, when she made some major revelations. On her podcast 'Raw and Reality', with her now-boyfriend and TOWIE star Roman Hackett, she revealed that she was never really attracted to Sean and saw him more as a friend.
Although she admitted Sean was a "lovely guy", in the back of her mind she viewed him as a "best friend" rather than a boyfriend. She added: "When I got out [of the villa] I instantly sort of knew it was definitely like a friend thing."
The revelations about their relationship continued when the couple played a game of 'Say It or Shot It'. When asked by Roman, “Did Matilda actually like Sean?” she froze, rolled her eyes, and decided to take the shot instead.
Despite Matilda’s comments about their relationship on the podcast, Sean didn’t publicly respond.
Read more about Love Island here:
- Love Island's Andrew Le Page hard launches new girlfriend a year after Tasha split
- Love Island All Stars Helena and Charlie's surprising shared history explained
- Love Island's Jessie and Will reveal secret engagement with sweet proposal post
- Love Island’s Indiyah Polack and Dami Hope split after 3 years
- Love Island exes rumoured to reunite on All Stars 2026
