Love island's samie and tyrique: a timeline of drama & delayed romance
The Instagram couple photos are here, but the story behind Samie Elishi and Tyrique Hyde's relationship is far more tangled than a perfectly curated vacation aesthetic suggests. After weeks of speculation following Samie’s victory on Love Island: All Stars with Ciaran Davies, the pair have officially confirmed their romance. But, as revealed in a candid livestream on Joe Baggs’ podcast, Not My Bagg, the path to this Moroccan getaway has involved years of near misses, explicit rejections, and a rather pointed commentary on the show's voting patterns.
A six-year history, pre-villa
What began as a casual encounter at a Boohoo event back in 2020, when both were relatively unknown figures in the influencer scene, has blossomed – or perhaps, aggressively re-bloomed – into a full-blown relationship. Tyrique, recounting the initial interaction, explained that he secured Samie’s Instagram handle amidst a group of friends, including fellow Love Island alum Toby Aromolaran. At the time, nothing significant developed. The pair then both graced Love Island screens – Tyrique in the summer of 2022, coupled with Ella Thomas, and Samie in the winter series of the same year, finishing in third place with Tom Clare. This, it seems, merely ignited a simmering interest.
From admiration to 'game on'
After a breakup with Ella Thomas, Tyrique admitted that Samie was “always in his head.” He publicly expressed interest in pursuing her on Grace Beverly’s podcast, Saving Grace, last December, only to be met with a dismissive, “You’re not serious,” from Samie. The dynamic shifted dramatically following Love Island: All Stars. Tyrique, apparently hearing “murmurs” of trouble within Samie and Ciaran’s relationship, decided to “shoot his shot,” sending flowers to Samie’s residence—a move confirmed to have occurred while she was still purportedly dating Ciaran.
The implications of this gesture, revealed during the podcast appearance, are, to put it mildly, complicated. Tyrique’s subsequent declaration, “Aight cool, game on then,” after Samie confirmed their split, has sparked considerable backlash from fans who invested in the Samie and Ciaran pairing.
Backlash and clout accusations
Addressing the wave of criticism, Tyrique didn’t mince words. “You lot voting for them, hold the L,” he stated bluntly, adding a dismissive, “They didn’t even get much screen time anyway…next time pick a better winner.” He acknowledged the “disrespectful” nature of his actions toward Ciaran, but shrugged off accusations of seeking clout, arguing that pursuing a less popular figure like Samie would be a counterproductive strategy. “Samie’s not even fully liked by the public. If I wanted to do it for clout or PR surely I’d go for someone that I know is very well liked.”
The couple’s current display of affection, a whirlwind trip to Morocco punctuated by lavish Instagram posts, feels less like a romance and more like a calculated response to the unfolding narrative. Whether this is a genuine connection or a strategic play for attention remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the Love Island game extends far beyond the villa walls.