Kem Cetinay ‘SPLITS from girlfriend Lexi Hyzler’ after lockdown made seeing each other ‘difficult’

Kem Cetinay has reportedly split from girlfriend Lexi Hyzler, after lockdown travel restrictions made it ‘really difficult’ for them to maintain their long-distance romance.

The relationship was 24-year-old Kem’s first since winning Love Island with ex Amber Davies back in 2017 – but with the legal trainee, 25, based in Malta The Sun On Sunday reports that they struggled to make things work.

A source said: ‘Kem and Lexi made a great couple but sadly they have grown apart over the past few months. She went home during lockdown and since then the travel restrictions have made it really difficult for them to see each other.

“Lexi told Kem she adored him but didn’t think they could carry on and he agreed. It’s been really sad for both of them but it’s all amicable and they’re hoping they can remain good friends.’

MailOnline has contacted a representative for Kem Cetinay for comment.

In an interview with The Sun in September, Kem stated things were going well, as he said: The fact I’ve introduced her to my family and she’s stayed here shows I’m taking it seriously.We had a chilled week – loads of Turkish kebabs, seven nights a week.

‘She’s got to get used to it. We don’t do standard dinners, it’s straight-up barbecue every night. She was force-fed!’

Kem met glamorous Lexi on holiday and the pair were said to be ‘smitten with each other’ after making their romance official late last year.

A source told MailOnline in January: ‘Kem took his time with dating after Love Island but now he couldn’t be happier.’

An insider continued: ‘Things couldn’t be better for Kem at the moment. He’s the digital presenter for Dancing On Ice and entertainment presenter on This Morning – and now he’s finally found happiness in his love life. 

‘It was important for Kem not to rush into anything after Love Island, but things felt natural with Lexi. Kem is very close to his family and in particular his mum, who absolutely adores her.’

Kem’s New Year’s Day picture with Lexi, which made them Instagram official when it was first posted, remains on Kem’s social media grid. 

The former hairdresser hadn’t publicly dated since he split from Amber, 28, just 132 days after they won the 2017 series of Love Island. 

Speaking about their break-up at the time, he said: ‘When it finished there was so much pressure.’

Since Kem, Amber has been linked to pop singer Olly Murs, TOWIE’s Pete Wicks and Britain’s Got Talent’s Perri Kiely. 

She is also said to have enjoyed a secret fling with One Direction heartthrob Liam Payne, who Kem revealed ‘was one of the first people to text’ to check he was OK after the end of his romance with Amber.

Amber is now in a relationship with Nick Kyriacou, with whom she was seen enjoying a romantic getaway to Dubai last month. 

In an interview about Kem last year, Amber said: ‘We don’t see each other. We don’t speak. It’s like we live two completely different lives. I wish him well, but I don’t know him as a person.

‘People grow up, don’t they? We were so young when we met and I think now we’re two very different humans who don’t know each other at all, which is obviously sad. It’s part of life and I accept it. But I always wish him well.’