Gareth Gates and Faye Brookes split and call off their engagement
GARETH Gates and Faye Brookes have split up after dating on and off for seven years and called off their engagement.
The Pop Idol star, 35, and the former Corrie star, 31 – who were planning their wedding – have decided they are better off as friends.
A source told The Sun Online: “Gareth and Faye have been through a lot together but they just can’t make it work.
“She’s in a different place right now after leaving Corrie and is working hard to land some new roles.
“She was really excited about the wedding and had even picked a venue but deep down she knew it wasn’t right.
“They are both really sad about it but have vowed to remain friends.”
In recent weeks the pair haven’t been seen in public and Faye has been hinting at heartbreak on her social media.
Today she posted a quote that read: “Someone said ‘Don’t be afraid to start over again. this tiem, you are are not starting from scratch, you are are starting from experience.”
Gareth is currently on holiday in Spain, while Faye has remained in the UK.
Gareth popped the question to Faye in January of this year just four months after getting back together after a brief split in September of last year.
Gareth got down on one knee during a holiday in New York and presented her with a stunning 4-carat diamond ring.
He then performed the 17 minute song on the grand piano, leaving Faye overcome with emotion.
Speaking to , she said: “We were both crying the whole way through. Once it was finished, Gareth got down on one knee and said: ‘Will you spend the rest of your life with me?’ And of course I said yes straight away.”
Discussing his song, Gareth said: “It was all about the six years we’ve spent together and I incorporated bits of songs that mean a lot to us as a couple. I got a bit carried away though – it went on for 17 minutes!”
Faye gushed: “It’s every girl’s dream to find the perfect man for her and then have the perfect engagement, so I feel very lucky.
“To have such a beautiful ring and to share the most brilliant life with my best friend is everything I’ve ever wanted. He could have but any ring on my finger and I would have said yes.”
The pair has shocked their fans when they revealed their breakup on social media last year, announcing to their fan base that they “remain the best of friends”.
But it was short lived and by October they were back together.
Gareth addressed their split, saying: “There was a lot of strain on our relationship because I was always away with work and Faye’s schedule was getting even busier so we decided we needed some breathing space.”
Faye quit playing Kate Connor on Corrie earlier this year and the pair had been planning to move to London.
Corrie’s Faye met Gareth in 2012 when they played on-stage lovers in the UK tour of Legally Blonde The Musical.
Faye and Gareth’s reps both declined to comment when contacted by The Sun Online.
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