Lucy Mecklenburgh and Louis Smith have split up.

Louis Smith and Lucy Mecklenburgh

Louis Smith and Lucy Mecklenburgh

The former 'The Only Way is Essex' star and the Olympic gymnast have called time on their 14-month relationship following a series of rows over their plans to settle down.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "Lucy and Louis wanted different things. Lucy wanted things that Louis just wasn't ready to commit to. In the end Lucy wasn't prepared to wait.

"Louis really had led Lucy on in that they'd discussed marriage and kids at length - it came like a bolt out of the blue and doesn't really make any sense to her."

The couple began dating at the end of 2014 after they met four months earlier when Lucy, 24, competed on the gymnast show 'Tumble, where Louis was a judge, in August 2014.

However, the career-orientated pair sparked rumours their relationship was on the rocks earlier this month when the brunette beauty began building her own home in Essex.

Asked if they've spoken about moving in together, Lucy said recently: "Not right now. He built his house in Peterborough and I've nearly finished building mine in Essex.

"It wouldn't work at the minute. It's important to have your own space and not to plan things around someone else. We live our own lives and see each other when we're both free."

Lucy - who left the reality TV show two years ago to work on her fitness empire - has made no secret of the fact she wanted to settle down with Louis, 26, and start a family.