Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott 'split' after spending Christmas apart

Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott
-Credit:Instagram/Sam Thompson


Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott have reportedly split after five years together. According to MailOnline the pair allegedly celebrated the festive period separately, with Zara, 28, staying at home with their cats. Meanwhile, Sam, 32, spent New Year’s Eve at London's Kensington Roof Gardens with former Made In Chelsea co-stars Reza Amiri-Garroussi and Josh Patterson.

In a photo uploaded to Josh’s Instagram Story, Sam could be seen smiling from ear to ear as he raised a glass in one hand. In another video shared on Reza’s page the TV personality was seen doing a shot and telling the group: “It’s going to be a memorable evening. I’m very very glad to be around all of you.”

Sam and Zara
Sam and Zara had been in a relationship for five years -Credit:samthompsonuk/instagram
Sam Thompson
Sam was seen doing shots as he partied with friends on New Year's Eve -Credit:Instagram

Prior to New Year’s Eve, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! star Sam had spent Christmas Day volunteering while Zara spent time with her family in Essex. Their busy work schedules meant that they’d spent time away from one another while Sam was in Australia for I’m a Celeb and Zara was filming a documentary for the BBC.

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A source told the publication: “Sam and Zara have ended their relationship. It's been an incredibly difficult decision for them to part ways, they still care and have a lot of love for each other.”

They source added that the pair had worked hard on their relationship, but spending time apart had made things difficult. They also added that Zara and Sam were keen to focus working on their individual careers moving forward. OK! has contacted representatives of Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott for comment.

Zara McDermott's cat
Meanwhile Zara spent New Year's Eve with her cats -Credit:Instagram
Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott sat together in a photo.
Zara and Sam had recently spent time apart due to their busy schedules -Credit:Instagram

The reports come five years after the pair began dating after the Love Island star slid into Sam’s DMs. Speaking to OK! about the interaction, Sam explained in June 2019: “She slid into my DMs. It was great and I’m glad she did.”

He added: “Do you know what, I don’t want to say too much, but we’ve been on a few dates, it’s been a few weeks now.

“We’re not exclusive, because everyone in this game rushes everything! There’s no need to. If you rush into things, sometimes you make a mistake and it gets too intense… she’s a really, really lovely girl and she’s incredibly beautiful.”

Following a brief split in 2020, the pair rekindled their romance and spoke to OK! in 2022 in a joint interview. Looking back on the hard times, Zara said: “You learn from your mistakes, no one is perfect. It’s something we all go through.”