Pregnant Love Island winner Cara De La Hoyde has urged this year’s contestants not to rush into serious relationships once the show is over, saying a slower pace could have saved her relationship with co-star Nathan Massey.

De La Hoyde and Massey coupled up on the first day of the ITV2 reality show in 2016 and were voted the winners of the love-themed competition.

The duo are expecting their first child together, but ended their relationship just two weeks after finding out about the pregnancy.

The Intent Premiere – London
Cara de la Hoyde attending the premiere of The Intent in London (PA)

De La Hoyde told ITV’s This Morning: “Looking back on it now, my main bit of advice for everyone when you come out don’t rush things because you think you know each other so well.

“We jumped in head first, lived together. We still have got so much love for each other, but everything happened so quickly and I think it ruined it.”

Asked if they might have benefited from more traditional dating, she replied: “I think that would have saved us and then moved in a lot later. It was too much.”

She said they were both taken aback by her pregnancy, telling the show: “I was actually in hospital having a cervical examination and then I found out I was pregnant.

“So I didn’t go in to find that, so that was a shock. We are really good, we’re constantly in contact, he knows everything that he needs to know… He was very shocked, just the same as I was, and we tried to make it work, but sometimes it’s better for the baby not to be in that volatile relationship.”

Love Island 2016
Circus performer De La Hoyde was a contestant on the 2016 series of ITV’s Love Island (ITV/PA)

De La Hoyde backed former Blazin’ Squad member Marcel Somerville and Gabby Allen to be this year’s champions and hinted her own reality career might not yet be over.Asked about rumours she might join The Only Way Is Essex, she said: “Maybe. Obviously they’re on holiday at the moment, they’ve jetted off everywhere, so you’ll have to watch this space. There’s room for a little yummy mummy. You never know.”