Fans were gobsmacked to discover that Megan and Conor had already connected before entering the Love Island villa.
Love Island star Megan Forte Clarke has admitted that she and Conor Philips already knew each other before entering the ITV2 villa.
The brunette beauty, 24, had been getting close to the rugby player, 25, after abruptly ending her romance with Tommy, 22, with sparks flying between the Irish pair.
But their romance was cut short after it was announced that Megan, who was born in Dublin, had received the fewest votes from the public and was immediately dumped from the island.
The shock news left Conor, who lives in Limerick, in floods of tears, sparking confusion among fans who were left questioning why he was so emotional over her exit.
With rumours swirling online that the two were secretly dating in the months running up to the show, Megan clarified just how well the couple really knew each other before jetting off to Mallorca.
During an interview with heatworld, she explained: "On day one [of Love Island] Conor told me that he followed me on Instagram four years ago.
"I never followed him back. Since coming out I’ve seen that he follows me on TikTok and he’s commented on one of my TikToks.
"Again, I’ve not followed him back or even realised he’d commented on one. It’s nice that he’s still trying four years later, it’s worked out for him now I suppose."
After confessing he had been pursuing her for years, Megan revealed in an interview days later that she had finally given in to his charms.
She told Cosmopolitan UK: "I've already given him the follow... I'm like Instagram is looking good. I can approve of this."
However one eagle-eyed TikTok fan posted "evidence" that the two had crossed paths before the reality show, sharing an image of the two side-by-side in what appears to be the same venue.
They wrote on social media: "Photo of Megan and Conor at the same place btw, proving they were together in real life."
While it certainly looked suss, another viewer quickly rubbished the claims by explaining that just because they were in the same club, it doesn't mean they were linked.
They wrote: "They may have been in the same place, doesn’t mean they knew each other. I’m sure at some point, we’ve all been in the same place as somebody we met later in life."
Whether or not the speculation is true, it certainly seems Megan is now keen to see where the pair's romantic connection could go.
She told MailOnline: "Conor was really upset when I left… But I didn’t want him to leave, I didn’t know what was going to happen and we only had a couple of days properly together.
"I wouldn’t want him to make a rash decision out of emotion, but we shall see how he behaves, if someone comes in fair enough but as of now, I think there is something between us so I will see how it goes.
"I will definitely be watching the show but not for too long because the FOMO gets to me, I want to be in there, but I have to see the girls and their best bits and how they are getting on with the boys."
