Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott are said to be ‘devastated’ to have split following five years together (Image: samthompsonuk/instagram)
After five years of a rollercoaster romance, fans were left heartbroken this week over reports that Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott had called it quits. The split rumours gained traction after the couple spent the festive season and New Year’s Eve apart.
And now, a source has revealed to OK! that despite their best efforts to salvage their relationship, it just wasn’t meant to be. “Although they have known it’s been over for a while, Sam and Zara are both devastated and heartbroken that they couldn’t make it work as they had so much love for each other,” they said.
The couple were together for five years ( Image: Instagram)
Sam spent Christmas and New Year’s Eve away from Zara, who spent the festives with her family ( Image: Getty Images for New Look)They added, “When they had problems in the summer they vowed to give it one more try and hoped that they could work through their issues, but it proved impossible as they were just at different stages in their lives.”
While Zara remained at home with the couple’s cats, Albus and Cedric, Sam, aged 32, was spotted celebrating at London’s Kensington Roof Gardens alongside his former Made In Chelsea pals Reza Amiri-Garroussi and Josh Patterson. In a snap from the night posted by Reza on Instagram, the I’m A Celeb champ is seen taking a shot and declaring to friends: “It’s going to be a memorable evening. I’m very very glad to be around all of you.”
Before the New Year’s Eve celebrations, Sam spent Christmas Day volunteering while Zara enjoyed the festive period with her family in Essex. The former Made In Chelsea star initially took to Instagram on December 25, hinting at a ‘bleak Christmas’, but swiftly changed his tune, editing the caption to ‘standard Christmas’ after followers questioned the gloomy outlook and Zara’s whereabouts, reports OK!.
With Zara busy shooting a BBC documentary and Sam hosting the podcast Staying Relevant alongside mate Pete Wicks, signs of them leading separate lives were evident. By late 2024, time apart was noticeable as Sam jetted off to Australia for I’m a Celeb and Zara was tied up with her documentary work.
A source has now suggested that despite efforts to maintain their relationship, the couple’s increasing time apart has culminated in a split. “Ever since Sam won the jungle, they’ve more or less been living separate lives as Sam has been so in demand and Zara has been working on lots of projects,” the insider revealed.
“Sam, especially, feels like he can’t turn down anything at the moment so has been prioritising his career and while Zara is also career focused.”
The couple have had a rollercoaster relationship since Zara famously first dropped Sam a DM on Instagram in June 2019. Recounting the flirty beginning to OK!, Sam revealed, “She slid into my DMs. It was great and I’m glad she did.”
The couple hit a rocky patch in 2020 when Zara admitted to infidelity the year prior, but they bounced back stronger, even discussing their ups and downs with OK! in an interview last year.
Zara reflected upon their struggles, mentioning, “You learn from your mistakes, no one is perfect. It’s something we all go through.”
Sam and Zara are parents to two cats and live together in London ( Image: Instagram/@zara_mcdermott)
The source said that friends and family saw Sam and Zara’s split looming ( Image: Getty Images)However, despite apparent signs of commitment, such as Sam’s sweet reference to Zara as “my person” in a birthday post fuelling engagement speculation, tensions between the two have been evident. They were spotted in an argument last summer.
The dispute came to public attention after a picture showed an intense discussion shortly after Sam’s participation in Soccer Aid 2024, where Zara appeared quite spirited, gesturing pointedly at her partner after the celebrity-filled event. As the duo awaited their taxi, the argument seemed fervent.
In an attempt to shut down speculations about the altercation, Zara explained that what seemed like a row was actually her voicing “telling him positive affirmations in a very passionate manner,” Yet, the rumour mill didn’t stop churning, with whispers arising that the reality TV power couple might be having “crisis talks” to resolve their relationship woes.
However, the pair yet again brushed off any suggestion of tension and appeared smitten on social media.
Now, they haven’t spoken out on these fresh split rumours, but Sam has shared a post looking ahead do the new year as he said 2025 would be ‘amazing’ and planted a kiss to the camera.
Despite Sam’s upbeat social media presence, the source added that friends and family knew the split was looming. “They’ve been together for such a long time that it was hard to finally call it a day because there are so many friends and family involved.
“They were neighbours with Sam’s sister Louise and they would see her little boy Leo all the time and it’s going to be hard for Zara to walk away from his family. But their friends and family have known it’s been coming for a while and it was just a matter of time.”
