Who is Sammy Root? Love Island: All Stars 2025 contestant and former winner

"Previously, I put a lot on looks, whereas now I think it's more important to focus on personality," he said of what he's looking for in the villa.

But who is Sammy, and why did he decide to take the plunge and sign up to the show once more? Read on to find out.

Sammy Root key facts: Age, job and Instagram

Age: 23

Job: TV personality

Instagram: @sammyroot_

Who is Sammy Root?

Sammy Root is a TV personality who previously appeared and won Love Island 2023 alongside his former girlfriend Jess Harding.

Since appearing on Love Island, Sammy has gone on to join the cast of The Only Way Is Essex, which could see a fiery reunion with co-star Elma Pazar.

Prior to his original stint on Love Island, Sammy worked as a project manager and described himself as "funny, bubbly and good to be around" as well as being "a bit cheeky".

What season of Love Island was Sammy Root on?

Sammy appeared on season 10 of Love Island. His series featured the likes of Tyrique Hyde, Whitney Adebayo and Catherine Agbaje – who is currently in the All Stars villa.

After entering the villa as a bombshell, Sammy quickly couple up with Jess and despite their several ups and downs, they were crowned the winners.

What happened between Sammy Root and Jess Harding?

Despite winning the series and leaving as partners, Sammy and Jess split up just three months after the show came to an end.

A flurry of media reports came out about their split, with Sammy later confirming the news on Instagram (via Closer): "We had a private conversation regarding our relationship but this was left up in the air as Jess is still away and we haven't had a chance to speak in person.

"For me to then see today via the media that we had officially broken up came as a total shock. To be totally clear – I at least wanted a face to face conversation to see if our relationship could be saved and felt this would be the respectful way forward."

He added: "We had the most incredible experience winning Love Island and l genuinely saw a future with Jess. I was committed and respectful to our relationship. Unfortunately, things don’t always work out the way you’d hoped.

"Despite how this has all played out today, I think Jess is an amazing woman and genuinely wish her all the best."

Jess didn't officially post a statement but said during a Q&A: "I really don't want to go into detail by doing a big statement but we're just very different and behave differently and that's it."

Why is Sammy Root returning for Love Island All Stars?

While things did work out for Sammy the first time, things changed after they left the villa.

Sammy said: "Hopefully this time round, I'll leave with a relationship that goes the distance."

Love Island All Stars airs Sundays to Fridays at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.

Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.