Yazmin Oukhellou insisted she’s the best version of herself after moving on from her ex-boyfriend James Locke during the series 28 premiere of The Only Way Is Essex on Sunday, filmed in the Dominican Republic in June.
The reality star, 28, shot scenes for the ITVBe programme just weeks before her involvement in a tragic car crash which killed her close friend Jake McLean in July.
Going on to declare she ‘loves how things are’ while chatting with newcomer Junaid Ahmed, Dani Imbert and Roman Hackett, she joked of her BFF Junaid: ‘He will not let me get a boyfriend, he is so jealous!’
‘I’ve had my heartache!’ Yazmin Oukhellou insisted she’s the best version of herself after moving on from her ex-boyfriend James Locke during the series 28 premiere of The Only Way Is Essex on Sunday, filmed in the Dominican Republic
She then said to him early in the episode of her former flame Lockie: ‘I’ve gone through my breakups, I’ve had my heartache and now I’m the best version of myself.’
‘We’ve come here and we’re friends. I never thought we’d see the day we have each other’s best interest at heart. I love how things are.’
It comes after MailOnline revealed Jake McLean had a secret girlfriend when he died in a horror car smash in Turkey.
The Essex businessman was killed instantly when his car plunged down a ravine in a crash that left his on-off lover TOWIE star Yazmin with serious injuries.
Awful: The reality star, 28, shot scenes for the ITVBe programme just weeks before her involvement in a tragic car crash which killed her close friend Jake McLean in July
Pals: Going on to declare she ‘loves how things are’ while chatting with newcomer Junaid Ahmed, she joked of her BFF: ‘He will not let me get a boyfriend, he is so jealous!’
Chatting: She then said to Junaid early in the episode of her former flame Lockie: ‘I’ve gone through my breakups, I’ve had my heartache and now I’m the best version of myself’ (Dani Imbert and Roman Hackett pictured)
Yazmin later told how she had to break her own arm to escape the wreckage and is still coping with post traumatic stress following her return to the United Kingdom.
Jake’s mother claims her son was a good driver and he must have been distracted at the time of the crash, which occurred in the early hours of the morning while he and Yazmin were driving home from a nightclub in holiday hotspot Bodrum.
It was reported that the pair had been rowing in the moments before their speeding vehicle hit the crash barrier and rolled over, a claim denied by Yazmin.
‘So many laughs, cries’: It comes after MailOnline revealed Jake McLean had a secret girlfriend when he died in a horror car smash in Turkey (pictured Chloe Hennessey)
Horrific: The Essex businessman was killed instantly when his car plunged down a ravine in the crash that left his on-off lover TOWIE star Yazmin with serious injuries
The accident led to a bitter fallout between Yazmin and Jake’s mother Anita and the reality star was banned from Jake’s funeral this week in Essex.
Now MailOnline can reveal that Jake had a complicated love life and was actually dating a beauty therapist from Essex at the time of the crash.
Chloe Hennessey, 27, was invited to the funeral and posted a series of touching photos on Instagram of the couple, paying tribute to the man she will ‘love forever.’
A source told MailOnline: ‘Jake had a complicated love life – but Chloe was his girlfriend and they loved each other.
‘She has a close relationship with his family and together they’re helping each other get through this terribly sad time.’
MailOnline has contacted Chloe for comment.
‘Beautiful soul’: Chloe Hennessey, from Essex, was invited to the funeral and posted a series of touching photos on Instagram of the couple, paying tribute to the man she will ‘love forever’
‘Hope you can fully rest in peace’: Chloe smiled alongside Jake’s family and close friends at his supercar themed funeral on Tuesday, where his loved ones came together to celebrate his life wearing either black or white
Paying their respects: Jake was laid to rest on Tuesday at St Thomas of Canterbury church in Essex and was remembered by close friends and family
Emotional day: The funeral was escorted by supercars while Jake’s family covered the vehicles in a Lamborghini floral arrangement and large ‘Jakey’, ‘Cuzzy’ and ‘Son’ designs in white flowers
Writing on Instagram alongside a photo of herself and Jake hugging, Chloe said: ‘What a beautiful day for a beautiful soul. So happy everyone important that should’ve been there showed up.
‘So many laughs, cries, and happy memories with all his closest loved ones. Hope you can fully rest in peace now fly high Jakey. Love you forever always in our hearts.’
‘I’ll miss him always’: On the day of Jake’s funeral, Yazmin broke her social media silence, writing in a post: ‘This has taught me that life is so short and we must cherish our loved ones’
Chloe, who bares a striking resemblance to Yazmin, also shared a cryptic post on a black backdrop, which read: ‘If only people knew the truth.’
On the day of Jake’s funeral, Yazmin broke her social media silence, writing in a post: ‘I have been taking some time away from social media to fully focus on my mental and physical recovery.
‘I needed this time away to work on healing and processing everything as best I can.
‘This has taught me that life is so short and we must cherish our loved ones as much as possible.
‘I am so grateful for our memories and the special time that Jake and I shared. I’ve not stopped thinking about him and I’ll miss him always. He will forever hold a special place in my heart.’
Chloe appears to have a close friendship with Jake’s ex-girlfriend Lauren Goodger, who follows her on Instagram and regularly comments on her posts.
On one of her photos, Lauren wrote: ‘Come see you soon and bring Larose to meet little man.’
Lauren attended Jake’s supercar themed funeral on Tuesday alongside former TOWIE co-star James Argent.
Chloe is also followed on Instagram by the likes of Love Island’s Georgia Harrison, who also dated Jake, TOWIE’s Nicole Bass, former Hollyoaks actress Chelsee Healey, and reality TV star Lateysha Grace.
She owns Chloe’s Beauty Boutique in Essex where she works in aesthetics and cosmetic treatments including filler, Botox, and Brazilian bum lifts.
Yazmin and Jake had been dating on and off since May 2021, after the TOWIE star called quits on her long-term relationship with James Lock.
Memories: Chloe shared a photo of Jake that was displayed at his funeral on a plaque lined with beautiful blue and white flowers
Chloe, who bares a striking resemblance to Yazmin, also shared a cryptic post on a black backdrop, which read: ‘If only people knew the truth’
She moved to Dubai last year to be with Jake after quitting ITVBe show TOWIE.
But the reality favourite ended their romance in January this year after discovering Jake had been unfaithful with former Love Island contestant Ellie Jones.
Sources close to Yazmin say her relationship with Jake was ‘toxic at times.’
This year, Yazmin was set to make her return to TOWIE after filming with the cast in the Dominican Republic.
While they had been dating for months, Yazmin didn’t confirm her romance with Jake until December 2021.
She took to Instagram to make things official with a photo of her and Jake cuddling together in Dubai, but covered his face with a heart eyed emoji.
Yazmin captioned the snap: ‘We’ve been through more than most. Had our ups and downs but I wouldn’t have us any other way.’
The pair briefly dated in 2019, before rekindling their relationship after Yazmin’s split from James.
Yazmin has been called an ‘angel’ by doctors after surviving the crash that saw Jake’s Mercedes plunge 70ft off a mountain in Turkey that has become a ‘notorious spot’ for accidents.
Injuries: Yazmin was pictured for the first time since the accident in July with her arm in a cast and sling. The ITVBe looked emotional as she ran errands alongside mum Lisa just weeks after Jake’s tragic passing
Tragic: Photos of the crash site where Jake lost his life emerged days after the accident in Bodrum, Turkey took place. The location has become a ‘notorious spot’ for accidents
Horrific: Speaking about the accident last month, Yazmin said doctors called her an ‘angel’ after she managed to walk away from the horror scene, which left Jake’s car overturned
She severed an artery and a nerve in her right arm and admitted to needing ‘therapy for a while’ following the harrowing ordeal.
She said: ‘The doctors called me an angel, a miracle, because it’s a notorious spot and people have never survived. Now I’m just wondering how the hell did my partner die while I’ve survived? It’s made me look at life totally differently.
‘I am definitely going to need therapy for a while, and I’m going to try some in-patient treatment too. I know this will live with me forever, I need to take it slowly.’