Laila Rouass previously discussed her ‘soul-destroying’ struggles with fiancé Ronnie O’Sullivan, months before the couple reportedly split after 12 years together.
On Thursday it was reported that the couple had ended their engagement, after the Footballer’s Wives star, 53, was seen without her ring during an appearance on This Morning last month.
Now, a clip from Ronnie’s Prime Video documentary The Edge Of Everything has resurfaced, which shows the couple during a terse exchange while Ronnie, 48, discussed struggling with his ‘demons.’
In the documentary, which was released in November, Laila sat down with Ronnie after his 6-4 defeat to Neil Robertson at the Masters in 2022.
She said: ‘I want you to do what makes you to be happy I don’t tell you to stop or to carry on. I would never put you in a situation like that.
Laila Rouass previously discussed her ‘soul-destroying’ struggles with fiancé Ronnie O’Sullivan, months before the couple reportedly split after 12 years together
On Thursday it was reported that the couple had ended their engagement , after the Footballer’s Wives star was seen without her ring last month (pictured in November 2023)
‘I am OK with it. I just think it’s about management. There’s so much self-criticism involved and a lot of time on your own to think.’
But Ronnie then cut in, saying: ‘But I think I am much more comfortable with it now than I have ever been.
‘If I didn’t stop before, when I was really uncomfortable, why would I stop now if I feel more comfortable with it? It is as if I have overcome my demons in a way.’
Laila then added: ‘I think that’s your mood today. When you see it in a romantic way. But the reality is it’s hard to watch somebody go through that emotionally.
‘That’s when the questions come in. ”Jesus, why is he doing this? Why does he put himself through it?”
‘It’s like so soul-destroying. But that’s because I think you do love it, as much as you maybe hate to admit it.’
It comes after insiders said work drove a wedge between Laila and Ronnie this year, with the snooker star taking major trips abroad for competitions, while the actress focused on her screen career.
A friend told The Sun: ‘They have been going in different directions.’
Now, a clip from Ronnie’s Prime Video documentary as resurfaced, which shows the couple during a terse exchange while Ronnie, 48, discussed struggling with his ‘demons’
Laila told Ronnie ‘I think that’s your mood today. When you see it in a romantic way. But the reality is it’s hard to watch somebody go through that emotionally’
The couple briefly split up for eight months after a decade together but got back together, with insiders hoping this current break-up ‘might be a blip like 2022’.
‘Ronnie and Laila really threw themselves back into their relationship after the split a couple of years ago,’ they added.
‘He kept posting pics of them online at home together and saying romantic things on special occasions, but that’s all come to a halt.
‘They’ve tried so hard but they just can’t make it work. There is a lot of love between them but they have been going in different directions and conceded it is over.’
The actress, who has starred in Holby City, Footballer’s Wives and EastEnders, was seen without her engagement ring during an appearance on This Morning.
She has been wearing the ring since 2013, when O’Sullivan gave it to her a year after they got with each other.
Their relationship blossomed in 2011 after Ronnie called Laila up to view his house that was recently put on the market and was given a tour by his father Ronnie O’Sullivan Sr.
‘It happened by accident,’ she previously said. ‘I was shown around Ronnie’s house by his father, who told his son about meeting me. Ronnie called the estate agent, a friend of mine, and asked me out via her.
‘When he said he was a snooker player I said, ”yeah but what does he do for a living?” I’d never heard of him because sport doesn’t interest me at all, although Ronnie’s won me over to snooker.’
It was then their whirlwind romance began and they became engaged in the following year.
Speaking of their long engagement, Laila told the Mirror in 2019: ‘I’d have to really gear myself up for a wedding. At the moment we’ve put it on the back burner and we’re enjoying our time so there’s no rush.’
But the couple split up after a decade together with Laila making the announcement to shocked fans.
It comes after insiders said work drove a wedge between Laila and Ronnie this year, with the snooker star taking major trips abroad for competitions (pictured in 2016)
‘After nearly ten years of love and memories, Ronnie & I have parted ways,’ she wrote on Instagram in February 2022. ‘Peace & love to you all. Laila X.’
The separation did not last long, however, and by April Laila was spotted wearing her engagement ring once again.
By May, after a month filled with rumours and speculation, the pair confirmed their reconciliation, before jetting off on holiday.
The actress said last year that open communication brought them back together after their split.
‘We found our way back, we just worked it out. Back when I announced it, we hadn’t been together for almost eight months at that time.
‘Talking is so underrated. If you can sit down and say how you feel and what you want when you get older that is much easier to say too.’
Meanwhile, O’Sullivan admitted following his defeat against China’s He Guoqiang on Tuesday that the end of his snooker career was closing in on him.
‘I haven’t got long, I’m not going to deny it, I’m not playing well enough, there’s no point in even worrying about it – I’ve just accepted it now which is quite a nice place to be really’, he said.
‘I’m awful, it’s embarrassing. I miss so many balls. I can’t get away from it, poor, but there’s nothing I can do about it,’ he added.
‘I’ve been missing balls for the last four or five years and every now and then I’ll miss a few less, maybe, and get a couple of results.
‘I don’t even care, I’m just here to fulfil my commitments to my sponsors, get away from home, travel.’
