Bachelorette Sophie Monk confirms split from Stu Laundy

Sophie Monk has split from boyfriend Stu Laundy after just six months together.

The couple, who met on The Bachelorette, have constantly been forced to deny rumours they had broken up since the show ended in October.

In an emotional late-night Instagram post, Monk said she gave the relationship her "best shot" but it "just didn’t work out" because the two were "very different people".

Monk also explained that she decided to confirm the split because she "entered this relationship so publicly I know I owe an answer to Australia about my personal life".

"I went into this experience looking to settle down and start a family," she wrote.

"I gave it the best shot I could and my intentions were everything, but unfortunately it just didn’t work out. As much as I respect him we are just very different people."

Monk appeared to have a crack at those who thought the two were only together for publicity.

"There were no contracts or pressure to stay together whatsoever and we remain friends," she said.

Monk said the experience had taught her to get out of her "comfort zone in order to find real love" and that it had made her "much stronger".

She finished the post off with an apology to fans who followed the couple throughout their very public courtship.

"I sincerely want to apologise to anyone who invested so much love and support and I hope I haven’t disappointed anyone."

Sources told the Daily Mail "travel and distance" were factors in the split.

Laundy was Sophie’s choice when The Bachelorette finale aired in October.

She earlier sent a tearful runner-up Jarrod Woodgate home.

"You said loving me was the best thing you’ve done in a while. I don’t think anyone’s ever said that to me. So I have two really important things to tell you," Monk told Laundy.

"The first thing is I’m so sorry I misjudged you when I first met you. And the second thing is I’m in love with you."

An emotional Laundy responded: "I love you so much, The moment I hopped off that chopper, I knew I’d done the right thing. I’m gonna cry. It’s so bad.

"I love everything about you. I know it took me forever to say, but I didn’t want to get it wrong."

Laundy said Monk had "rescued" him and given him a "second chance".

The heir to a $500 million pub fortune is a father of four. He separated from his estranged wife Rachel four years ago.

Laundy said in an interview with the Daily Telegraph that he did not make the decision to appear on the show lightly.

"It’s a risk for someone like me to go on the show, I ummed and aahed a lot but what got me over the line was that I just thought I saw something in Soph," he said.

"When I first met her it was excellent and I really wanted to meet her again, and I had to go through the rigmarole to do it."

From the start, Monk and Laundy have been forced to deny split rumours. Monk defended the couple’s rare PDAs, saying she was not "a feely person".

"It’s our body language. I’m not a feely person and we saw paparazzi at the airport and we went overboard so it’s not real - I can’t win!" Monk told Kyle and Jackie O.

"Behind closed doors I’m overboard, in public its like a habit thing ... I don’t like watching people make out and hold hands in public anyways."