Chloe Lewis, former The Only Way is Essex star and ex-girlfriend of Jake Hall, has finally broken her silence after Mr Hall’s death earlier this month.
Ms Lewis and Mr Hall had an on-off relationship, which often played out on screens during their time on the ITV series.
The couple met at 16 years old on a night out
|Whilst the pair eventually split, they remained friends and would often bump into one another at events they were invited to.
Mr Hall died from head injuries at a villa in Majorca, with a spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office noting: "We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities."
The Spanish Civil Guard told BBC News it was investigating the incident, which it said "appears to be an accidental death".
Ms Lewis posted her tribute to her Instagram page on Friday, which consisted of a video full of photos of them together across their 10-year relationship.
Beginning her lengthy statement, she penned: “My first love, my childhood sweetheart. A love that taught me so much about life and myself, and even more so now your presence is no longer here. A complete pain in the arse most of the time, but always with the purest heart and the greatest soul.
“You touched so many lives and meant well in everything you did. I knew who you were… and I know what you wanted from life… a happy home and a loving family.
“Being the best dad was the most important thing to you & we always use to speak about it. You did that, Jake, with pride and made it look so easy and effortless. Like I knew you would.”
Ms Lewis touched on when the pair first met, revealing: “We met at the age of 16, when you stalked me in a bar and ended up coming out with my sister and Danny for the night.
The pair became inseparable as their relationship flourished
|“I remember thinking, ‘How am I stuck with this guy for the night?’ But somehow, you danced with me all night and we belly-laughed until the early hours.
“You made me feel like I was the most wonderful person you had ever met. From that day on, we were inseparable, and you became my best friend.”
Ms Lewis and Mr Hall were one of the biggest couples on Towie, and their relationship and the trouble which ensued within it was blasted over national TV.
Speaking about that time in their life and how it affected their relationship, she penned: “Navigating our young years and being thrown into a reality TV show, being in the public eye wasn’t really what we wanted, but it all just happened so quickly & it took over our relationship. It was a huge struggle for me & mentally hurt us both.
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“We had our ups and downs, but we always knew how to come back to each other… until it was all too late. Life got in the way, and we separated after spending 10 years together. We didn’t love wrong, we just didn’t know how to hold on to it.”
Ms Lewis added how much of a “talented and creative” person Mr Hall was from a young age, adding that “me and Mummy were always your No.1 fans.”
She added how she will always remember his love of music, how he knew all the words to so many songs and how the song, Ordinary People, will “forever be our song.”
Adding that he was a “pest” and that he “drove people who cared about you crazy,” she still admitted that she loved him and wouldn’t have changed him for the world.
The pair became on of the most popular couples on Towie
|Ms Lewis noted that the past few weeks since his death had been “surreal” and revealed the pair had last spoken in February, when she told Mr Hall to “take care of yourself.”
Concluding her lengthy and heartfelt statement, she added: “Heartache echoes through the world for you, Jake. I’ve never seen so many people pour their love out for one person.
“I wish you could see it all — to realise just how deeply you were loved. I hope you can now, and that your mind is finally peaceful.
“You’ll be in my thoughts forever, and I’m sorry I couldn’t have saved you. I hope it’s peaceful up there, and I really hope that one day I get to see you again. Keep shining like you always do. Stay Magic.
“Que Sera, Sera, Jakey. All my love, Always.” (sic)
They split up after 10 years together
|Friends of Ms Lewis and Mr Hall from their days on Towie flooded the comment section, with Georgia Kousoulou noting: “Oh my Chlo. Love you so much.”
Saffron Lempriere added: “Beautifully said. Sending you all love,” before Demi Sims continued: “Sending you so much love, Chloe.”
Amber Dowding said: “Oh Chlo, these words are so beautiful.. as they say .. ‘it’s better to have loved than to never have loved at all’ sending you so much love & hugs.” (sic)
Mr Hall is survived by his daughter, River, with Ladies of London and former Real Housewives of Cheshire star Missé Beqiri.
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