Inside Shawn Mendes' and Camila Cabello's doomed relationship before split

After two years together singers Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello announced they've split - but many fans were never convinced they were the real deal.

The Canadian crooner revealed that he and the 24-year-old had "decided to end our romantic relationship" explaining that "our love for one another as humans is stronger than ever."

The statement stressed that the pair will "continue to be best friends."

The singers became friends five years ago having first met while performing as opening acts for YouTube sensation Austin Mahone’s tour.

At the time, Camila was a member of Fifth Harmony, which was formed after she, Ally Brooke, Normani, Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui came third in the X Factor in 2012.

Rumours of a romance started between the pair in June 2019 when they duetted on the very sexy S eñorita.

They went on to confirm their relationship in September of that year.

However, many fans didn't buy the couple's romance.

No strangers to a whole heap of PDA, rumours were rife the relationship was just a PR stunt because 'Shamila' couldn't stop kissing in front of the cameras.

One fan took to Twitter writing: "Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes pretending they aren't in a PR stunt relationship when they get approached by the paparazzi they called."

Another mused: "Which was the worst attempt at a fake relationship PR stunt to promote a collaboration? Zedd dating Selena Gomez or Shawn Mendes dating Camila Cabello?"

However when Shawn was asked by a member of the paparazzi in 2019 whether the relationship was real he said it was "definitely not a publicity stunt" explaining the constant PDA was just a "bit of a joke".

Camila and Shawn moved to Miami during the coronavirus pandemic to be closer to the songstress' family.

She had previously described how her relationship with the If I Can't Have You singer had helped her discover a lot about herself.

She wrote at the time: "When you're in a relationship with someone, it feels like they are this mirror reflecting yourself back to you—I constantly have to confront my fears, my anxieties, my insecurities, my patterns of thinking, my beliefs about life and about myself.

"It's not as simple as it looks in pictures sometimes. sometimes, it's messy and uncomfortable and ugly lol. But there's nothing like the pull, the FORCE that is love."

She also admitted that the couple had gone to counselling sessions to try to improve their relationship and were fortunately able to do so because they "trust each other so much".

The couple got their glam on for this year's Met Gala in which Camilla stunned in a purple two-piece while a shirtless Shawn smouldered in back leather.

And two weeks before the start-studded event, Shawn accompanied his girlfriend to the Miami premiere of Amazon's Cinderella in which Camila plays the titular role.

Shawn also has a small cameo in the film, which wasn't received well by critics.

Before they sashayed down the red carpet, Shawn praised 'my love' Camila for the film gushing how 'proud' he was of her for taking on the project.

In Shawn's Netflix documentary Shawn Mendes: In Wonder, the singer revealed that Camila was his musical muse and that 'all' the songs he's ever written were about her.

He said: “My song comes on the radio or something, and I’m like, ‘Everything’s about you. They’re all, they have always been about you."

However Shawn was said to have been dating model Hailey Bieber for a spell after they met at the Met Gala in 2018 leading fans to question the validity of his statement.

Camila and Shawn last posted photos of one another on social media on October 31 and November 1 in which they were both dressed as skeletons to celebrate the Day of the Dead.

Some might say this was fitting sign off for a relationship which many believed was doomed from the start.