Molly Smith has taken a thinly veiled swipe at ex Callum Jones, saying her new boyfriend Tom Clare treats her better than anyone she’s been with before and she can’t fault their relationship.
The Love Island: All Stars winner, 29, told MailOnline she and Tom, 24, are preparing to take the next big step by moving in together, and she has no hesitations, comparing their romance to being on ‘cloud nine.’
In an exclusive interview, Molly confessed the five-year age difference between herself and Tom used to ‘bother’ her but the Macclesfield footballer has proven to be more mature than her previous partners and even ticks every box on her ‘non-negotiable list.’
She was forced to live with her Love Island ex in the South African villa, confronting their breakup after three and a half years with millions watching, which she now says has helped her to move on.
And even after removing all trace of Callum from her Instagram profile this week, Molly insists there’s ‘no animosity’ or ‘hatred’ between them and she simply wants to focus on her new relationship.
Molly Smith has taken a thinly veiled swipe at ex Callum Jones , saying her new boyfriend Tom Clare treats her better than anyone she’s been with before and she can’t fault their relationship
The Love Island: All Stars winner told MailOnline she and Tom are preparing to take the next big step by moving in together, and she has no hesitations
Molly confessed the five-year age difference between herself and Tom used to ‘bother’ her but the Macclesfield footballer has proven to be more mature than her previous partners
And even after removing all trace of Callum from Instagram this week, Molly insists there’s ‘no animosity’ or ‘hatred’ between them and she simply wants to focus on her new relationship
Molly said: ‘I’m on cloud nine, I can’t lie. I didn’t go on the show believing I would leave with someone, I had no expectations, coming out with Tom… he’s everything I had been looking for. He’s so good to me. And to win the show was the cherry on top. You can’t plan it… and I’ll forever be grateful.
‘We have gelled really well together. We have got to know each other more and have been going from strength to strength… I feel like we’re both so happy. It has actually been one of the easiest transitions in a relationship for me.
‘You know sometimes when you think, ‘Is this too good to be true?’ I don’t like jinxing things but right now I can’t fault our relationship. Moving in together is the next step, we are practically living together as is… we just haven’t made it official yet.
‘Our age difference used to bother me, but I have been with people in the past who have been older and shown less maturity than Tom does… Tom for his age, shows so much maturity and he’s actually treated me better than anyone I’ve been with…
‘I made a non-negotiable list in September, saying this is it, when I next meet someone, I want them to be like this and Tom ticks all of it… age is just a number and if you’re with someone and it’s working, that’s all that matters.’
After being joined by Callum on All Stars, the nation hoped the former couple would reconcile but Molly’s attention quickly turned to Tom, who first found fame on the show in 2023.
But she faced competition from love rival Georgia Steel, who had ‘history’ with Tom, and secretly pursued his affections, causing an awkward fallout between the pair when the truth was exposed.
Georgia finished the series with Toby Aromolaran although the couple have already split, with Molly saying navigating a TV relationship in the real world can ‘make’ or ‘break’ you.
After being joined by Callum on All Stars, the nation hoped the former couple would reconcile but Molly’s attention quickly turned to Tom, who first found fame on the show in 2023
She faced competition from Georgia Steel, who had ‘history’ with Tom, and secretly pursued his affections, causing an awkward fallout between the pair when the truth was exposed
Molly told MailOnline her relationship with Tom has been ‘going from strength to strength’ and she has been asking herself, ‘Is this too good to be true?’
She said: ‘Me and Georgia never allowed our differences to get to a point where it was really awkward… we shared a bedroom, a dressing room, everything was really communal.
‘As far as I’m aware, we left on fine terms. I don’t have any animosity towards her. She had Toby when she came out and I had Tom.
‘I did hear they split… not everyone’s going to last in the real world, that’s when the true tests are happening. That’s what makes or breaks people.’
After winning Love Island: All Stars, Molly earned legions of new followers, plenty of whom admired the star for the grown-up way she handled living with her ex-partner.
And now she’s reaping the rewards, with multiple brands signing her up including online fashion giant boohoo and US fitness company Alani Nu.
Molly’s latest collaboration is with Abbott Lyon, who has taken inspiration from the jewellery she wore in the TV villa for their latest collection.
In tribute to her dog, Molly wore a necklace that spelled ‘Nelly’ in Arabic, which she refused to take off while starring on the show, and now fans of the sentimental chain can have their own.
She said: ‘This collection means a lot to me because these are things that I wore throughout my time in the villa, and I actually couldn’t take it off.
‘I had a necklace that I wore every single day in the villa, it was my dog’s name in Arabic writing, I constantly wore it. And the range is the same, sentimental pieces, that will mean a lot to people and make great gifts too.’
As Abbott Lyon’s new ambassador, Molly helped to create a fresh range of personalised jewellery and said her famous Arabic necklace has even been given a makeover and is available in a crystal finish.
She added: ‘Nearly everything by Abbott Lyon can be personalised, necklaces, bracelets, everything is so sentimental and meaningful… it makes it feel extra special and one of a kind.
‘They have done a crystal version of my Arabic necklace and there’s also a plain one… it’s beautiful the way this reflects me, and the shoot was so much fun too.’
And Molly joked she’s hoping for a very special piece of jewellery from boyfriend Tom, hinting she wouldn’t be against him proposing in the distant future.
She added: ‘I don’t date to date I want a proper relationship so getting married would be the long-term goal, but we shall wait and see… no pressure yet!’
- Abbott Lyon x Molly Smith, Spring Signature Looks launches on abbottlyon.com on Sunday 7th April. Featuring new Arabic Name Necklaces available from £79
