Orlando Bloom has blamed the pressures of filming and media intrusion for his split from actress Kate Bosworth - but insists the pair are still good friends.

The couple split in September (06), and the Pirates Of The Caribbean star claims it became tough dating a fellow movie star with an arduous filming schedule.

He says, "We're still very good friends. But there's been no denying that it had been a difficult year for us both."

"Kate was on one side of the world, in Australia shooting Superman, and I was on the other, in the Bahamas for Pirates. So we tried giving each other a little bit of time out. And well, there were difficulties. There are in any relationship."

"In our case, it was extremely unfortunate that everything was on public display. I have always tried to keep my cards close to my chest - while wearing my heart on my sleeve - but it is a really hard thing to do."