Snooker icon Ronnie O'Sullivan breaks cover after 'splitting from Laila Rouass'
Snooker star Ronnie O'Sullivan has split from Laila Rouass after 12 years of dating
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Ronnie O'Sullivan has been snapped for the first time since reportedly splitting from Laila Rouass.
The pair first got together in 2012 but, after 12 years of dating, have apparently decided to go their separate ways.
O'Sullivan is one of the best snooker players of all time, though was recently sent crashing out of the English Open in Essex as his stuttering form in recent months continued.
As for Laila, the 53-year-old has appeared in television shows such as Footballers' Wives, Holby City and EastEnders over the years.
Snooker star Ronnie O'Sullivan has split from Laila Rouass after 12 years of dating
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The Daily Mail have published the first pictures of O'Sullivan since news of the split broke last month.
The snooker star was pictured getting into a car at Woodford Station in London.
Due to his sporting commitments, O'Sullivan is often away for long periods of time.
And a friend of the pair has told The Sun that his busy schedule has played a role in the couple's decision to part ways.
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“Ronnie has spent months and months on the road this year doing snooker tours for big money in China and Saudi Arabia while Laila has been concentrating on her acting career," they're quoted as saying.
“There is a lot of love between them but they have been going in different directions and conceded it is over.
“Ronnie and Laila make a lovely couple so the people who know them best are hoping this is a blip like back in 2022.”
The friend also said the duo had done everything possible to make the relationship work.
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“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.”
O'Sullivan has three children, with daughter Taylor-Ann born from a two-year relationship with Sally Magnus.
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Ronnie O'Sullivan previously split from Laila Rouass back in 2022
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He also has a son and a daughter from a relationship with Jo Langley.
O'Sullivan first started dating Laila in 2012, with the couple then announcing their engagement the following year.
In February 2012, Laila said that the couple had ended their relationship.
However, the couple later reconciled.
Ronnie O'Sullivan's friends are hoping his split from Laila Rouass is merely a 'blip' in their relationship
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The friend of the pair says O'Sullivan's inner circle are hoping their current split is merely a 'blip'.
Whether the pair reconcile again remains to be seen.