Sam Thompson reveals a glimpse of the plush house he shared with ex Zara McDermott as he gushes about why he 'loves' coming home

Daily Mail​

5 days ago

Sam Thompson has offered a rare glimpse of the plush London house he shared with his ex Zara McDermott.
The couple dated for five years, but following their split in December, Zara moved out of the home, and is now dating One Direction star Louis Tomlinson.
In a series of snaps on Instagram Stories, Sam showed off the cosy interior of his home, which he's been renovating following his split from Zara.
Having been away in Sheffield filming a new project earlier this week, the former Made In Chelsea star, 32, gushed he 'loves' coming home, having been reunited with his beloved pet cat Goose.
The first snap showed his marble kitchen with a muted beige colour scheme, with his pampered pet happily sat on the counter top.
In his second post, Sam then showed off his bedroom, admitting he was still in the process of choosing artwork to be placed above the bed.
As well as a cosy bed taking pride of place, the room was decorated with plants, and matching beige furniture.
Sam then went onto share a snap of the bathroom, with eye-catching marble additions and light detailing writing: 'And this! So happy with how it's come along.'
Earlier this week it was revealed that Sam would be going head-to-head with fitness guru Joe Wicks in Celebrity Gladiators earlier this year.
The star has impressed fans with his transformation in recent weeks, after hitting the gym to get in shape for his gruelling Soccer Aid challenge.
It comes after Sam admitted he'd had an 'uncomfortable' start to the year after he and Zara split up.
The TV personality insisted that sometimes a difficult period can 'shock' someone into making a much-needed change in their life.
Following their split, Zara began dating former One Direction star Louis Tomlinson, 33, who joined Sam as one of the Soccer Aid players this year.
Appearing on his close friend Pete Wicks ' Man Made podcast, he candidly reflected on the past year following the split and how he has evolved.
In his second post, Sam then showed off his bedroom, admitting he was still in the process of choosing artwork to be placed above the bed
He said: 'It's such a weird one because I still look to people for help all the time.
'I look to you, if I'm ever in a problem, I'll call you, I'll call Marvin, I'll call Tony, I'll call Ryan, my brother-in -law, I'll call Louise.
'I have a lot of people who I depend on and as much as I love that, I still feel inside like I'm not quite at the place where I can take care of myself.'
Pete asked: 'So do you think then that asking people for help or being dependent on other people makes you less of a man?'
Sam clarified: 'Asking for help, no. I think I lean a little bit too heavily into the depending.'
Since the breakup, Sam has thrown himself into huge challenges - including his gruelling UNICEF mission, where he transported the Soccer Aid ball from Stamford Bridge to Old Trafford by foot and by bike over five days.
Pete asked him: 'So at what point do you think you're going to start depending on yourself? And how will you know?'
Sam replied: 'Oh, that's a great question. I'll be honest with you, mate. After the UNICEF challenge, I already think I started doing it more.
'Putting yourself in uncomfortable situations and realizing that you can handle uncomfortable situations.
'I mean, this year, there's been one big uncomfortable situation […] I feel like you need a bad year or not bad year but an uncomfortable year to change who you are as a person.
'You need almost like a shock to put you into sort of like a new phase of your life.'
Reflecting on his emotions, Sam told Pete that he has always been an emotional person.
Pete asked: 'In what way do you mean emotional?'
Sam explained: 'I'd cry a lot, like I'd feel things. This is really lame but I remember watching like an Oxfam documentary and like going to my mum's bedroom and crying.
'I mean, I just didn't understand what's going on. Like really feel things.
'When I got older, maybe it was school you were almost taught it's not cool to have those feelings of real empathy, I have noticed this when I got older it's like I blocked something in my head and then it's only in certain situations that side of me comes out.
'I remember on the challenge, I had it on day one and I was like don't cry on f*****g day one I was like come on man like you can't be that guy cries on the day one and I remember I just finished the first marathon obviously just done my leg in I remember like just crying into the physios f*****g arms and I was like what the hell is going on.
'Then Ben Shepard turned up on day one I didn't know Ben Shepard that well, he's a lovely guy and I really needed him actually.
'But like I just cried to Ben Shephard, and I was like what the f**k is going on? I just feel like I think I must just have so much pent up stuff in me.'
It comes after Sam and Zara ended their relationship in December, following a holiday season spent separately.
A source close to the couple told Daily Mail at the time: '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.
'But after a tough year of working hard at their romance, they have split and will be focusing on their individual careers going forward into 2025.
'There has been no scandal or fallout between them, it's just the result of a difficult year, where they both had to spend a lot of time focused on their own projects.'
The couple were last seen together celebrating Zara's birthday in December, where Sam dedicated an Instagram post to his girlfriend, calling her his 'soulmate' and 'best friend.'