Samie Elishi has opened up for the first time about why she split from Sam Thompson, admitting she would consider returning for a third stint on Love Island.
The 25-year-old influencer dated former King of the Jungle Sam for two months, marking his first official relationship since his five-year romance with Zara McDermott.
However, the couple’s time together quickly ended, and Sam has since moved on with DJ Talitha Balinska.
Samie, who previously dated co-star Tom Clare and TOWIE’s Harry Lee, revealed she is still single, citing the low calibre of men on the dating scene.
She first appeared on Love Island in 2023 and returned for All Stars this year, but the TV star insists she isn’t finished with the show yet, still holding out hope for a happy ending.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Samie joked that being cast on ITV2 for a third time could be her best chance of finding ‘The One,’ admitting that conventional dating is ‘tough’ and that she’s currently in ‘the trenches.’
Samie Elishi has opened up for the first time about why she split from Sam Thompson, admitting she would consider returning for a third stint on Love Island
The 25-year-old influencer dated former King of the Jungle Sam for two months, marking his first official relationship since his five-year romance with Zara McDermott
Samie, who previously dated co-star Tom Clare and TOWIE’s Harry Lee, revealed she is still single, citing the low calibre of men on the dating scene
Samie said: ‘I do find dating hard. I find it hard but not because of Love Island. It’s the calibre of men in the world right now, they’re just not it.
‘It’s so hard to meet someone nice, there’s always something. I don’t think my job has anything to do with it but it’s the generation at the minute. It’s really cold and dark on these streets.
‘Me and Sam were dating for a bit, and he is lovely, but he is not the person for me. We are still cool and we’re still friends.
‘He looks quite happy now anyway, he is focusing on him and his new relationship, I suppose… It looks like it is going well.
‘I am happy for him, there’s no animosity there, nothing really happened, there’s not really any tea. It is what it is. We were so busy, we couldn’t see each other really. It just fizzled out, and we agreed to just be friends.’
Samie says that once she meets the man of her dreams, she hopes to one day have children of her own.
She added: ‘I would love to have a family one day but not right now, I have a lot to do, there is money to be made and a business to build. But I would love to settle down eventually. Once all of my ducks are in a row, I would be happy to.’
Samie revealed that she and Sam are still ‘friends’ following their breakup, explaining that their romance ‘fizzled out’ due to their busy schedules
After watching Love Island stars Amber Davies and Tasha Ghouri compete on the BBC series, and given her own dance experience, Samie is hoping to secure a spot on next year’s Strictly
Samie was cast in Love Island: All Stars this year, flying into South Africa by producers to attempt to lure Luca Bish away from Grace Jackson with the knowledge he had once slid into Samie’s DMs.
Although the approach proved unsuccessful and Samie returned home single, she has since admitted she couldn’t turn down the chance to join the All Stars lineup for a second time.
She said: ‘I love the show, it has given me everything that I have now, I will always be a top fan.
‘I remember the first time I went on the show, I had purchased a Love Island water bottle from the website two years before. I love it, I applied to be on the show three times, I am obsessed with it.
‘I would never say never to All Stars because it’s such an amazing opportunity, I am already lucky that I have done the show twice, I don’t think the second time really counted but that’s fine! I don’t think anyone would say no if they had the opportunity. Who doesn’t want some winter sun?
‘It doesn’t mean anything, it potentially being my third time, an opportunity is an opportunity. That’s like me saying I have worked with ASOS twice now and I don’t want to do it again. Why wouldn’t I? It’s a great opportunity.’
In addition to All Stars, there’s another TV show that has caught Samie’s eye.
After watching fellow Love Island stars Amber Davies and Tasha Ghouri compete on the BBC series, and given her own dance experience, Samie is hoping to secure a spot on next year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
She said: ‘I used to dance and I would love to do Strictly. I think I would be really good at it, I actually do. I watch it every year and I love it.
‘I used to do contemporary, tap and jazz, I would love to learn, I know a bit of salsa and that’s it. I would love the chance to do Strictly.’
Samie has launched her very own perfume, Elishi Rose Quartz, which she hopes will be the first in a collection of Moroccan-inspired scents
Samie explained that the perfume is entirely her own project, financed solely with the money she has earned as an influencer and it’s now her ‘baby’
For the past year, Samie has been keeping a secret: she’s transitioning from former Islander to perfumer.
The star embarked on a journey to discover her true passion and quickly realised that creating her own signature scent, inspired by her Moroccan heritage, is her dream business venture.
Samie, whose father Samir is from Morocco, has now launched her perfume, Elishi Rose Quartz.
She explained that it is entirely her own project, financed solely with the money she has earned as an influencer.
Speaking about the perfume for the first time, Samie said: ‘This is my idea, I have done it from the beginning on my own, it is a passion project.
‘I wanted my own baby and for ages I was trying to work out what I’m passionate about. I went through bikinis or loungewear, but it wasn’t me.
‘The one thing I have 1000s of is perfume and I’m always looking out for a new scent.
‘So, I thought I’m going to make my own. I got hold of all the contacts myself and did lots of meetings, it took a long time to create the actual scent but it’s authentic to me.’
On choosing not to work with an investor, Samie said: ‘It’s all my money, it’s all my jobs, this is where all my money has been going.
‘My heart is set on having the perfume stocked in Space NK because I have such a good relationship with them, I love the team and they love the perfume, they spelt it a year ago. They said they need to get it in store.’
Samie’s perfume not only draws inspiration from her father’s Moroccan heritage but also pays homage to her mother, Wendy.
It was Wendy’s influence that sparked Samie’s fascination with crystals and their use in maintaining positive energy.
As a result, the perfume bottle is infused with rose quartz crystals, with Samie explaining that her concept is to ‘spray an atmosphere, not just a scent.’
She explained: ‘I have grown up around crystals, my mum has crystals around the house, so we charge them on the full moon, it’s a bit of a mad house but we love it.
‘If I’m ever feeling weird, I will have a certain crystal with me and it makes me feel better and attracts good energy
‘The perfume smells like a Rose Oud, it’s mature, it’s not fruity or floral, I wanted something that was elevated and could appeal to all ages.’
Samie launched her perfume on Monday evening with an elegant dinner party, attended by TOWIE’s Chloe Lewis and Love Island’s Chloe Burrows.
