Maura Higgins became "suspicious" of Pete Wicks after reportedly seeing messages from other women on his phone. The Love Island star, 34, was said to have been devastated by the discovery and ultimatley called it quits on their whirlwind romance. She appeared to fall head over heals for the Strictly Come Dancing star, 37, after they were spotted on a string of secret dates last year. Maura even gushed about their connection while in the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! jungle as they appeared to be stronger than ever. Pete headed to Maura's native Ireland over Christmas and the couple enjoyed multiple romantic getaways together. However, it wasn't meant to be as they called it quits on their love story on Valentine's Day.
It has now been claimed the real reason behind Maura's split was because she grew suspicious of Pete and if he was "messing her around". The former couple are said to have rowed over trust before deciding to part ways. “She felt she was proved right when she saw loads of messages with other women on his phone," a source said. “She knew she’d never be able to feel like she could trust him — even if the messages were all innocent, it’s not something she could get past. She didn’t want to be constantly worried about what her man was doing," they added to the Sun. They explained Maura had "remained coy" and is determined to move on from Pete without bad-mouthing him.
Maura brushed off her heartbreak on Valentine's Day as she still headed out. She looked incredible in an off-the-shoulder red dress as styled her locks in a straight sleek style. Maura held hands with her male friend and was all smiles when arriving for a luxurious dinner in London. However, when asked where Pete was by photographers, Maura quipped: "Dunno, probably out cheating," according to the publication.
The TV star also sent herself flowers on the day of love as she shared a picture of a bunch of red roses. A note on the bouquet read: “To Me, Love Me.” This weekend, Maura belted out a Whitney Houston song about 'broken hearts' as she headed to a theatre in London. Tagging her celebrity hairdresser pal Carl Bembridge, Maura appeared to be putting any heartbreak behind her as she thanked 'bestie' Carl "for an incredible night". She was heard singing along to Whitney's tune Where Do Broken Hearts Go as well as hit I Will Always Love You.
Maura and Pete, who have known each other for six years, have been in an on-off relationship for several months now. Rumours the long-time pals had struck up a romance began last year when they were caught sharing a kiss during a Soho dinner in August. A source told MailOnline: "Maura and Pete have decided to call off their romance. "There have been a few clashes, and it was eventually agreed they were better off as friends. Those closest to them know it's been a very on and off relationship, which is why they were so resistant to go public in the first place. They remain close and share a deep connection." However, the pal added that the attraction between Maura and Pete "is so strong, you wouldn't rule out reunion at some point – even in the short term.".
Appearing on Loose Women a few weeks ago, Maura blushed when she asked about her and Pete's romance when told they looked a 'lovely couple'. She replied: '"Do we? I never really thought about it. He's got better hair than me to be fair! There's not really much to tell, I know that's very boring, we've known each other for what, six years? We spend time together, we get on very well, our personalities are very very similar and he's a great person but there's actually nothing to tell. There's really not though, no one believes me, there's not!".
Pete also spoke publicly about Maura as speaking to relationship expert Paul C Brunson on his show, Need To Talk, he shared: "We have the same sense of humour, she is super intelligent and I think you know that is sometimes something people don’t realise about Maura. She is incredibly witty and we have always been there for each other for kind of the past six years at a distance where we have always been friends. We have always kind of been there for each other and whatever else.".
