LOVE Island finalist Sean Stone has admitted his friendship with Joey Essex is over.
The two were solid friends during their time on the show, but Sean has since had a change of heart about how genuine their bond really was.
Appearing on the Love Island podcast with Matilda Draper, the candyman explained that he thought Joey was “just playing a game”.
Interviewer Indiyah Polack asked: “You told Ayo and Matilda that you were a little bit blindsided by Joey and his comments – do you think it was all a game for him or do you think it’s just Joey being Joey?”
Sean replied: “I feel like Joey and I have such a good friendship – so I don’t think it was Joey being Joey.
“I feel like there was some sort of tactics behind voting for us and I was shocked. I was genuinely like ‘what?’
“When he tried to explain himself it didn’t really make sense. I felt a bit like ‘oh man’, because I’ve had his back through thick and thin, I’m supporting him here and I don’t really agree with it.
“For me it was a tough one, but it is what it is.”
It comes after Sean hinted at a ‘feud’ with Joey during the final on Monday night (July 29).
Last night’s episode saw Sean and Matilda finish in third place before Mimii and Josh were crowned the winners.
Speaking during their exit interview, Maya asked Sean about his close friendship with the Towie star and how he felt when he realised that he had voted him and Matilda ‘least compatible’ during Sunday’s savage twist.
Maya said: “Sean obviously you and Joey had such a solid bromance in the villa… then when he voted for you for ‘least compatible’, it shocked us all, not just you, how did it make you feel?”
Sean admitted: “I was gutted, I can’t lie but you know he had to do what he had to do.”
Maya then asked: “Are you not mates again?” with Sean responding: “I don’t know… I haven’t spoke to him yet. It’s his birthday, I won’t ruin it for him.”
Looking stunned by his answer, Maya replied: “Wow, okay…” before adding: “We can leave that for now!”
THINGS got sticky in the Love Island villa between Sean Stone and Omar Nyame - yet just what happened?
In June, when Love Island was in full swing, fans branded Sean a “snake” as he boldly opened up on the reason he decided to give Omar Nyame the boot.
Until then, the pair had been villa BFFs.
Love Island viewers had aready threatened to “call Ofcom” over the unfair treatment of Omar.
They also warned they would contact the broadcasting regulator following the results of an elimination which saw him dumped.
At the time, Sean was branded “so embarrassing” after admitting evicting Omar would “do me a favour” because the duo were both grafting for Matilda’s affections.
His bold comment – which he justified to the group by saying he had a “better” connection with the bombshell was promptly slammed, sparking a feud between the pair.
Omar then left the Mallorca compound under a cloud, with fans calling out a fix row.
