CHRIS Taylor fought back tears as he revealed the real reason for his 'painful' split from Maura Higgins on Celebs Go Dating tonight.
Up until this point, little has been said of the former couple's short-lived romance in 2021, though Chris, 34, did suggest it came to an end because he was unable to be his true self.
So, it came as a surprise to viewers when he spoke openly about their split during the latest show installment.
The Love Island star held back tears as he opened up to dating agents Paul Brunson, Anna Williamson and Dr. Tara.
He said: "I became friends with Maura, and then... yeah, like, we were mates for ages, and then it kind of progressed into other things."
Confirming it had been a serious relationship, Chris confessed that he loved her but didn't believe that the feelings were mutual.
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Anna remarked: "It sounds very painful," to which he replied: "It was."
She continued: "Problem is, when we hold all of our emotion in, you've got to find a way out somewhere. And it shows up in other ways.
"Typically, people that are dealing with a lot of pain and a lot of repressed negative emotion will find a mask to push them through it."
Paul added: " I would argue that you play up the awkward so that people can reject you right off the top. And you don't have to worry about their expectation."
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Chris concluded: "It's not fun for me, being vulnerable and open. I feel comfortable around the agents talking about it. It doesn't make it any easier."
The Barbie star, who rose to fame on Love Island in 2019 before making a comeback for the All Stars series, admitted earlier this year that he hadn't spoken to Maura since their separation.
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He explained in a pre-entry interview: "I am really hoping that no one I have slept with is in there, as that’s going to be uncomfortable.
"I am not sure how I would deal with my ex being in there as we haven’t spoken since we split up."
The pair went their separate ways in 2021, after just six months of dating.
After months of speculation, Maura confirmed their romance during her30th birthday week.
Chris said of their blossoming relationship at the time: "Turns out I fell in love with my best mate."
Just months later, they revealed they had split as they "work better as friends".
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The pair shared separate statements saying claiming there was "no wrongdoing" on either side.
They both also insisted that they "still love, care and respect" each other.
