Why Love Island star Cach’s Strictly gig has ‘left a sting’ with ex Toni Laites – as pals reveal what’s really going on

IT has been just a year since the nation fell in love with one of the most popular winning Love Island couples ever – Toni Laites and Cach Mercer. But the course of true love rarely ever runs smoothly when our favourite pairings leave the sun-soaked Majorcan villa. Now, my insiders have told me why Toni and Cach’s bitter ex war could be at an all-time high and why her pals think she is fuming that he has ‘taken her crown’ after landing his biggest post-show job yet. Love Island’s Toni and Cach’s war is about to get seriously bitter Credit: Getty Insiders tell me why Toni is secretly fuming about being pitted head-to-head with her ex Credit: Getty Despite winning over the hearts of the nation last summer, Toni and Cach’s dreamy love story collapsed earlier this year. Things came to an end when the pair had an explosive row at this year’s Brit Awards and opted to attend the various different after-parties separately. As someone who was on the arena floor mere seats away from Cach when he dramatically stormed out, I have witnessed first-hand how toxic things were for this once-solid pairing. But what my insiders tell me now shows how the feud has escalated to new heights. Toni was hand-picked by the Beeb to be a flashy star on Celebrity Apprentice Credit: BBC Her ex Cach then bagged a spot on Strictly – totally overshadowing her TV gig Credit: BBC Toni’s plan to become TV’s top star and a true ‘BBC darling’ by signing up to the glossy big-budget first full-length series of The Celebrity Apprentice has been completely thwarted by Cach signing up to juggernaut Strictly Come Dancing. Fans of Strictly were left stunned last week when it was revealed that Cach had bagged a place on this year’s dancing line-up – but no one was more stunned that his ex, Toni, according to her pals. My source said: “The news of Cach signing up to Strictly was a bolt out of the blue. “Toni’s pals think that it immediately left her feeling somewhat hurt. “She has been lined-up with a major BBC TV gig yet now her ex has outdone her by getting the hottest spot on TV. “Her pals think she is publicly brushing it off but deep down it has left her shocked.” Toni thought she had struck gold when the BBC offered her a place on the first full-length edition of The Celebrity Apprentice later this year. The Beeb wanted to take on Toni and see if they could turn her into a name that would really work well for them. My source said: “They have been incredibly picky when it comes to picking which former Love Islanders work for them. “As it is an ITV show, many of them end up doing something or another for ITV to continue the Love Island brand being on-screen all-year round but that isn’t something the BBC has to think about. Toni thought it was her time to shine Credit: Shutterstock Editorial My insider reveals how her career being stronger than Cach’s was always something she secretly loved Credit: Getty But his Strictly signing could see him become a bigger star than her Credit: Splash It means the pair are in for an awkward BBC showdown Credit: Shutterstock Editorial “For them, they only want the best personalities and names they think will really transcend to their audience.” The Sun understands that it was this logic that left Toni feeling like she had struck gold. But upon learning that Cach had landed a part on Strictly, those closest to her have told me how her pals think she has been placed into a TV competition with Cach. They said to me: “It appears now that Toni feels like she is having to go head-to-head against her ex once more. “She had safely assumed she was going to be the only Love Islander on a major TV show for the majority of the autumn. “It is a major boost for her career and of course she does not want it to be overshadowed. “Cach’s post Love Island career up until this point hasn’t necessarily been the most successful or lucrative. “She had always felt like she was having the last laugh by thriving work-wise after their break-up. “But now seeing him get a bigger show than her, which is set to air on the same channel in the same time frame, has really left a sting.” Another source added: “Ultimately, Toni is saying that she does not care about him being on Strictly. “She is saying she is happy for him but her pals really do think that beyond the surface, it is a different story.” For Cach, I am told he hasn’t had too many concers. “Put it this way, Cach knows how big of a deal Strictly is and he knows he’s a good dancer. “He is going to do well – for him, that is his focus and his only competition,” says my insider. But just which of them will triumph in what could be about to become reality TV’s nastiest backstage war. A representative for Toni denied the claims.