Wes Nelson has said that he and his ex-girlfriend Megan Barton-Hanson could “potentially” still be together if he had not gone on Dancing On Ice.
The Love Islander admitted that while he was unable to “see into the future” he thought their break-up could also have been easier if he had not been training for the show.
The couple got together on last year’s Love Island but parted ways in January.
DOI finalist Nelson, 20, said the ITV skating competition was not the “sole cause” of their relationship troubles but acknowledged the long training hours had played a part.
Asked whether he thought he would still be with the 24-year-old model, he replied: “I could have potentially been but I can’t see into the future.
“I could never speak hypothetically on that because I have no idea whether that would have made a difference or not.
“Dancing On Ice was not the only problem in our relationship. It wasn’t the sole cause of doing what it did – ending.
“Taking this out of the equation, it potentially might not have changed anything.
“Would it have been easier? Yeah, I think, absolutely. This takes up so much of my time and the break-up would have been easier and less stressful.”
Nelson faces former Strictly Come Dancing professional James Jordan and X Factor runner-up Saara Aalto in Sunday’s finale.
The Dancing On Ice final airs on Sunday at 6pm.