Inside Sam Thompson's love life after Zara McDermott split as he joins Louis Tomlinson at Soccer Aid
Inside Sam Thompson's love life after Zara McDermott split as he joins Louis Tomlinson at Soccer Aid
TV personality Sam Thompson is due to complete an epic challenge for UNICEF ahead of this month's Soccer Aid and here we take a look inside his love life
Sam Thompson has been taking part in a gruelling challenge ahead of this year's Soccer Aid for UNICEF. The Made in Chelsea star and I'm A Celebrity winner has been competing in Match Ball Mission throughout this week and his progress has been televised on ITV's This Morning.
He's been transporting the Soccer Aid match ball over 260 miles from Stamford Bridge to Old Trafford ahead of this year's game. Every mile, on foot and by bike, Sam is hoping to raise as much money as possible to support UNICEF's work for children worldwide - and he's due to cross the finish line on Friday, June 6, which will also be shown on This Morning.
Ahead of the completion of his mammoth task, we take a look inside the 32-year-old's love life following his recent split with Zara McDermott. Reality star turned documentary maker Zara is now dating One Direction's Louis Tomlinson - who just happens to be taking part in the Soccer Aid match alongside Sam on Sunday, June 15 at Old Trafford.
Sam Thompson is taking part in Soccer Aid - alongside his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend
(Image: ITV )
Sam and Zara's romance
Sam and Zara b egan dating in early 2019, not long after she had finished her stint on Love Island o n which she was involved with self-confessed ladies' man, Adam Collard.
At the time, Londoner Sam was in a relationship with fellow Made In Chelsea cast member Sophie Habboo (now married to fellow MIC and Strictly star Jamie Laing and expecting her first child) but it wasn't long before Zara and Sam became official and Zara soon joined the cast of the E4 reality show.
Article continues below
Zara and Sam hit a rough patch in late 2019 when reports began circulating that Zara had cheated on Sam while competing on X Factor: Celebrity with music boss, Brahim Fouradi, reports Hello!
Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott were together for five years
(Image: Sam Thompson Instagram )
Zara denied the allegations at first but then posted a heartfelt confessional message on social media in October 2020 when the news of the affair became public. That same month, the pair's heartbreaking one-to-one conversation was played out on screen in an episode of Made in Chelsea in which Zara was begging Sam for forgiveness. The clip has now become somewhat of a meme and, fortunately, the couple has since seen the funny side.
Sam decided to forgive Zara and they moved in together kept fans updated with their hilarious TikToks from their Chelsea home next door to his sister, Louise.
Why did Sam and Zara split?
Reports emerged at the start of 2025 that the pair had split after five years together. The split comes after the couple spent both Christmas Day and New Year's Eve apart. Sam spent Christmas volunterring for a charity, while Zara spent the day with her family in Upminster, East London.
Sam was spotted partying with friends at Kensington Roof Gardens on New Year's Eve, while Zara stayed home. The split is said to have occurred due to the pair's conflicting and busy schedules.
The couple were last seen together celebrating Zara's birthday in December 2024, with Sam taking to Instagram to post to his girlfriend, calling her his "soulmate".
Sam before setting off on his Soccer Aid challenge
(Image: © 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved )
Who is Sam dating now?
Sam, who recently shared his autism diagnosis, has reportedly been dating Love Island star Samie Elishi since April. But when asked about whether she would be supported him during his Soccer Aid challenge he told MailOnline: 'I feel like... this is so much more than who I'm dating or hooking up with. And I feel like it would take away from what it is going on. You know what I mean?
'You know, If I had a wife or something like, like a girlfriend of years it might be a different. I just think that I don't want to do anything that will take away from this challenge and UNICEF - the spotlight needs to be on them.
'Like, I'm literally a vehicle. That's how I'm seeing it. I'm just a thing that is running to try and make money, so I want to keep it that way."
Article continues below
Meanwhile, Zara has been pictured with One Direction star Louis Tomlinson since her split with Sam and Louis is once again part of the Soccer Aid line-up.
This Morning is on ITV1 weekdays at 10am and ITVX. Soccer Aid is on ITVX on Sunday, June 15
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
33 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
The 1% Club's tricky alphabet question knocks out a whopping 18 players – but would you have been one of them?
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE 1% Club's questions once again proved to be too much for most after one query wiped out almost a fifth of the studio. During one particularly savage round, 18 hopefuls were sent home when they failed to spot the correct sequences of letters. Did you manage to get it right? Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 Lee Mack was stunned by how many people got knocked out Credit: ITV 5 There were four options to choose from Credit: ITV 5 The question knocked out 18 people Credit: ITV 5 The tricky question was a brainteaser Credit: ITV The jaw-dropping moment unfolded in series two, episode five of the hit ITV quiz show, where host Lee Mack watched in disbelief as a simple-sounding question exposed just how tricky the game can be. Players were shown four words and asked to spot the one that does not contain three consecutive letters from the alphabet. The options were, Unopenable, Understandable, Unquestionable, and Undefineable. It might look easy on the surface, but spotting sequences like 'DEF' or 'RST' hidden in the words proved harder than expected. Players had just 30 seconds to examine the words and pick out the correct answer. The answer turned out to be C, 'Unquestionable'. ' Unopenable' contains 'NOP', 'Undefineable' includes 'DEF', and 'Understandable' also hides 'RST'. That left as the only one without a consecutive alphabetical trio, making it the right answer. Eighteen contestants failed to spot it, knocking them out of the game in one fell swoop. The shock exit had jaws dropping in the studio. Host Lee Mack kept his cool, but couldn't hide his surprise as players who had breezed through earlier rounds were taken out by the sneaky wording. The question came late in the game, reserved for the sharpest minds — but it still managed to trip up even the most confident contestants. Previously, a whopping 20 players were wiped out in a brutally challenging picture question. The result of the 30% question changed the face of the game, shedding half of the remaining current players. Lee read aloud to the group: "How many RIGHT FOOTPRINTS can you see in the sand." An image was then displayed showcasing an assortment of footprints in the sand. Players were then given 30 seconds to differentiate between the right and left feet. The image then turned the eight right feet green in order to correctly display which of the options the players should have been looking at. The 1% Club airs on ITV1 and ITVX.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
The 1% Club's tricky alphabet question knocks out a whopping 18 players – but would you have been one of them?
THE 1% Club's questions once again proved to be too much for most after one query wiped out almost a fifth of the studio. During one particularly savage round, 18 hopefuls were sent home when they failed to spot the correct sequences of letters. Did you manage to get it right? 5 5 5 5 The jaw-dropping moment unfolded in series two, episode five of the hit ITV quiz show, where host Lee Mack watched in disbelief as a simple-sounding question exposed just how tricky the game can be. Players were shown four words and asked to spot the one that does not contain three consecutive letters from the alphabet. The options were, Unopenable, Understandable, Unquestionable, and Undefineable. It might look easy on the surface, but spotting sequences like 'DEF' or 'RST' hidden in the words proved harder than expected. Players had just 30 seconds to examine the words and pick out the correct answer. The answer turned out to be C, 'Unquestionable'. ' Unopenable' contains 'NOP', 'Undefineable' includes 'DEF', and 'Understandable' also hides 'RST'. That left as the only one without a consecutive alphabetical trio, making it the right answer. Eighteen contestants failed to spot it, knocking them out of the game in one fell swoop. The shock exit had jaws dropping in the studio. Host Lee Mack kept his cool, but couldn't hide his surprise as players who had breezed through earlier rounds were taken out by the sneaky wording. The question came late in the game, reserved for the sharpest minds — but it still managed to trip up even the most confident contestants. Previously, a whopping 20 players were wiped out in a brutally challenging picture question. The result of the 30% question changed the face of the game, shedding half of the remaining current players. Lee read aloud to the group: "How many RIGHT FOOTPRINTS can you see in the sand." An image was then displayed showcasing an assortment of footprints in the sand. Players were then given 30 seconds to differentiate between the right and left feet. The image then turned the eight right feet green in order to correctly display which of the options the players should have been looking at. 5
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
James Martin says 'goodbye' as he makes emotional career announcement
James Martin confirmed that ITV's Saturday Morning would be taking a break with him and the rest of the crew for the summer holidays James Martin has announced he's taking a well-deserved break from his popular ITV cooking show, Saturday Morning, as he and the team enjoy some summer downtime. Wrapping up today's episode, the celebrity chef expressed his gratitude: "That's all we have got time for today, a massive thank you to all of my guests." He gave a shout-out to his culinary squad: "My food team, you can sleep better now. Daniel and Sally, and of course, Harry Redknapp and Carly Paoli." James then revealed the season's end: "That is also for the series. Me and the crew are heading off on sunny holidays. Different climates." In a light-hearted exchange with one of the crew, James inquired about holiday destinations, learning that one was off to Portugal, while he himself would be heading to Yorkshire, reports Devon Live. He promised viewers more culinary delights upon their return: "Yorkshire for me. But we will be back here with more top chefs, other brilliant guests, and more delicious recipes later on in the year." Signing off, James wished everyone a splendid summer: "Until then, thanks for watching. Have a wonderful, fantastic summer. I'll see you out there wherever you are." He concluded with a friendly farewell: "Thanks for watching, see you again soon, goodbye for now." Earlier in the show, James had informed the audience of a shorter episode due to the Derby broadcast on ITV1: "Because of the Derby on ITV1 this afternoon, it is a shorter episode than usual today. But we still have time for one more dish," he explained. During a segment filmed in Italy, James even joked about retiring there after tasting a local chef's traditional fish dish, much to the delight of viewers. "Can I just say if your two sons don't want to do this, you call me," he offered. He then laughed and mused over an enticing possibility: "I might retire here. I could be over there, I could be doing this, it is fantastic." James Martin's Saturday Morning is available to watch on ITVX.
