Paige Thorne has revealed why she didn’t leave the Love Island villa with Jacques O’Neill.
The paramedic was coupled up with the rugby player from early on in the show, but their romance hit the rocks after she found out he didn’t stay loyal to her in Casa Amor.
Bombshell Adam Collard then entered the villa and revealed he had his eye on Paige, which lead to Jacques kicking off.
The next morning, Jacques made the shock decision to quit the show, as he confessed to his fellow contestants that he wasn’t “being himself” and was “struggling”.
In an emotional scene, the 23-year-old told Paige he was going to wait for her on the outside, and urged her to enjoy the rest of her time on the show.
Paige went on to pursue a romance with Adam, and the pair made it through to the semi-final of the show, before being dumped from the villa on Sunday night.
In her post-exit interview, Paige admitted she did consider leaving the villa with Jacques, but then had a change of heart.
She explained: “It did cross my mind a little bit to leave with him, but things hadn’t been 100% all the way through, and the fact that they weren’t was what made me think.”
“The fact that I stayed and I gave 100% to the experience and found something new and something more suited towards me just goes to show that everything happens for a reason.”
Recalling the moment Jacques told her he was going to quit the show, Paige told ITV: “Honestly, I had a feeling that he was going to leave. It was really hard hearing him say it out loud, but I knew there was nothing I could say to make him want to change his mind.”
“I knew that wouldn’t be right. I fully supported his decision, absolutely I could never have sat there and asked him to stay.”
Speaking about her romance with Adam, the Welsh native added: “We’re going strong. We have done since day one. We’ve already made plans. He’s coming to see me in Swansea and I’m going to Newcastle. We’re already talking about holidays and Christmas plans. I definitely see a future.”
The 2022 Love Island finalists are:
- Davide and Ekin-Su
- Luca and Gemma
- Andrew and Tasha
- Dami and Indiyah
The Love Island final takes place tonight at 9pm on Virgin Media Two.
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