LOVE Island All Stars beauty Liberty Poole has broken her silence on coming face to face with ex Jake Cornish after their split.
The duo hit it off on the show in 2001 and quickly became front-runners to win.
But their romance fizzled out amid accusations that Jake was gas-lighting her, and Liberty ended up quitting the programme just days before the finale.
The pair haven’t spoken in the three years since their tearful split.
Prior to the new series launching, Liberty told ITV: “I’ve grown so much as a person since I was first on the show, so I’m excited for people to see that. I’m a lot more confident in who I am and sure about exactly what I want from a relationship. I just want to have fun and meet a lovely boy.”
Revealing how she’d cope with a reunion with Jake, she said: “It’s always going to be awkward isn’t it, it’s always going to be weird seeing someone that you’ve been with getting with someone else. I wish my exes nothing but the best.
“I’m going to be focused on my own journey so if it was to happen I won’t be worrying about them – so I’ll stay focused on my goal, which is to find love.”
Viewers may see a more guarded Liberty to the one they remembered first time round after her very public heartache.
“I always wear my heart on my sleeve but seem to end up getting hurt,” she said. “I often say I’ll have my guard up but I’ll probably get in there and fall in love after a week. I’m always just quite tunnel vision when it comes to love, if I really like someone I can’t multitask!”
When Liberty signed up to the show she had no idea Jake would be involved, according to an insider.
A source exclusively told The Sun: “Liberty and Jake haven’t spoken since the split and she’s avoided ever having to come face to face at celeb parties – so she’ll be horrified when she realises she has to live with him for the next few weeks.
“It’s going to be really awkward for her.”
But in his pre-show interview, Jake insisted there was no bad blood between the pair.
Love Island starts at 9pm Monday 15th January on ITV1, ITV2, ITVX & STV.
