
Watch emotional moment Sam Thompson reveals he ‘feels like a failure' as he breaks down in doc after quitting Soccer Aid
SAM Thompson is seen breaking down and saying he "feels like a failure" in an emotional moment from his ITV documentary.
It comes just hours after The Sun revealed how the former Made in Chelsea star, 32, has been forced to quit Soccer Aid.
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Tonight's ITV documentary shows the highs and lows of Sam 's recent gruelling 260-mile trip from Stamford Bridge to Old Trafford.
Along the way, the reality star suffered a calf injury while running, which hindered him.
Not one to quit, the I'm A Celebrity champ continued the huge challenge and completed it on both bike and foot.
However, due to his injury, and also the enormity of the challenge, Sam broke down when he saw his best friend Pete Wicks along the way.
In our exclusive clip Sam can be seen getting emotional as he talks to his good pal.
Struggling to compose himself, Sam says that he didn't think he's "smashing it".
Pete immediately rushes to comfort his pal, and says: 'You are smashing it, are you still going? There you go, you're smashing it. Come on, you're all right. You're good.
'You're the guy before you started, you're the guy now and you're going to be the guy when you finish. You got this."
Reflecting on this moment, Sam says to the camera: "I lost myself when I was hugging Pete.
"All of this frustration, all of this like emotion about how embarrassed I am and how I feel like I'm letting people down and.
Sam Thompson breaks down in tears and is comforted by Pete Wicks as disaster strikes on 260-mile endurance challenge
"Everyone else who does these challenges complete it and I was being proved right that I wasn't the guy."
INJURED STAR
Sam's turmoil has continued today after it was revealed that he has had to pull out of Soccer Aid on Sunday, due to injuries sustained in his epic marathon challenge
A source said: 'Sam is gutted he can't play, but the match has just come too soon since his efforts.
'He's still going to be a presence and play a big part in the coverage but he won't be able to compete on the field.'
The source added: 'There is a small blessing in his withdrawal as the focus on him and Louis will disperse.
'Their every move will be watched so it's a relief in some ways they won't be on the pitch together.'
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Sam was due to play in the same England side as One Direction star Louis, 33, who is now dating his ex Zara McDermott.
The pair were pictured training this week at Soccer Aid HQ in Tring, Herts, where the England and Rest of the World teams are preparing for the match.
Sam will now play a 'ceremonial role' in Sunday's match, kicking off the game before heading into the stands.
On his absence, England teammate Mo Farah said: 'If Sam's unable to play that's a shame but we're still proud of him for his efforts and what he did for UNICEF.
'He'll still be with us and part of our team on the day.'
England team and coaching staff
Here is a look at the full team for England for Soccer Aid 2025...
Team:
Steven Bartlett (Entrepreneur)
Alex Brooker (TV personality)
Jermain Defoe (Former footballer)
Toni Duggan (Former footballer)
Angry Ginge (YouTuber)
Tom Grennan (Musician)
Bear Grylls (TV personality)
Joe Hart (Former footballer)
Steph Houghton (Former footballer)
Aaron Lennon (Former footballer)
Dame Denise Lewis (Olympic gold medallist)
Paddy McGuinness (TV personality)
Sir Mo Farah (Former Olympian)
Gary Neville (Former footballer)
Sam Quek (Former hockey player/TV personality)
Wayne Rooney (Former footballer and manager)
Paul Scholes (Former footballer)
Jill Scott (Former footballer)
Sam Thompson (King of the Jungle)
Louis Tomlinson (Musician)
Michael Carrick (Former footballer)
Phil Jagielka (Former footballer)
Roman Kemp (Radio host)
Jack Wilshere (Former footballer)
Bella Ramsey (Actor)
Coaches:
Wayne Rooney (Former footballer and manager)
Tyson Fury (Boxer)
Harry Redknapp (Former football manager)
Vicky McClure (Actor)
Goalkeeping coach: David James (Former footballer)
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He has no shame in admitting that these new income streams are mainly down to her. 'The fact is, she's an absolute natural. She has no issue being almost anywhere and putting up the camera and filming. And she also does a lot of the complex stuff on YouTube.' 'I'm obsessed with it,' the Countess agrees. 'I look at all the analytics and make sure I'm up to date with all the techniques.' They met through friends in 2003 at a drinks party in London; she was working for a marketing company, which was setting up offices in the UK. Unlike her husband's grandmother, Alberta Sturges Montagu, 9 th Countess of Sandwich, who was one of the gilded American heiresses who came across the Atlantic to be part of the British aristocracy more than a century ago, the Countess says her own upbringing in Chicago was not laced with dreams of castles and blue British blood. On her one visit to London before she met the Earl, Julie Fisher (as she was then) found Britain decidedly unimpressive. 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The Countess' own experience was very different to that of the Duchess of Sussex, she says, as she was marrying into the aristocracy rather than the Royal family. 'We're in a different league. There would have been more rules and protocols that she had to follow. I've always felt the freedom to be able to do things and perhaps she didn't. Luke and his parents were incredibly warm and welcoming – I never felt excluded. I wasn't ashamed of my nasal accent.' It was an ominous start, though. When, three months after their first meeting, the Earl invited Julie to Mapperton, she had no idea what to expect. 'We hadn't talked about my family or the house very much,' the Earl says. 'That same evening, we got a call saying three wild boars had escaped from the neighbouring farm and needed hunting before they took out some poor unsuspecting walker. So I grabbed my rifle and headed off with Julie to the woods.' The Countess: 'I was holding a light.' Was she okay about blood sports? 'No!' 'I shot three wild boar, including a huge sow weighing 400lb. These animals were lying dead, and we had to get them out. It was going to be absolutely impossible with just the two of us. So I called my parents.' 'They'd just arrived back from holiday,' the Countess continues. 'Julie and my parents' first experience of each other was each holding a paw.' 'We were carrying the animals, and they were like: 'So Julie, where are you from?' And I was like: 'I'm from Chicago.'' The Earl's parents stayed at the helm of the estate until 2016. 'They saved it from ruin,' he says. Even so, 'I knew that when I took over, it would be a financial challenge.' It was in lockdown that the Countess first became involved in the future of the estate, and Mapperton found a new audience. 'We lost all our income in terms of visitors, so we thought perhaps there was an opportunity to replicate tours on the internet,' the Earl explains. 'We'd film my parents taking their usual tours of the house.' With the Countess as presenter, the Earl as producer and Nestor, 19, their youngest son, as sound man, they created their first crowdfunding video. They were touring All Saints, the estate's church, in June 2020, when the Countess first asked the public for donations to repoint the stonework, which was coming apart and donations – mainly from Americans – began to flood in: £1,500 in total. Did the in-laws hide their heads in shame? Not at all, the Countess says. 'We'd read out the donors' names, which they loved,' she explains. 'I'd say, thank you so much, George, from Sacramento, California, who has just given $50 (£42.50) and my mother-in-law would say, 'Fantastic! We'll even take your dimes.' Soon, the Montagus were producing a regular Saturday night show, Mapperton Live, which continues to this day. 'We over-engineered it to begin with,' the Earl says. 'These days, we never do a second take. Your audience buys into you as people – they find they share your values and interests.' Not many followers will have titles and live in a stately home, though. Do they ever get trolled? 'People are mostly incredibly nice, although we used to get some nasty comments,' the Earl says. The Countess is nodding. 'They said, Julie, do you ever comb your hair?' Did she find that hurtful? 'Never. I don't take it personally. Some people find that hard. For me, it's not hard at all.' Does she not feel she has to make an effort for the camera, though? 'Oh my God, no. That's not me. I'd rather spend my time doing something else than putting on make-up and doing my hair.' It all sounds jolly good fun, but the reality is that it's a scary time for historic houses; an effective 20 per cent rate of inheritance tax (IHT) for both farmland and family-owned businesses is going to be disastrous for many, the Earl explains. 'Some will be able to apply for conditional exemption but many will not.' Recent figures from Historic Houses suggest a third of members will have to sell chattels in order to pay IHT liabilities, but this won't always cover the bill. 'It's going to mean that many more are sold. I can tell you that when they get into public hands, their stories are less interesting. They're much more expensive to run. We run this at a fraction of the cost of a National Trust property. We are the right people to be in place,' he says. The Earl and Countess are aware, though, that they cannot focus purely on digital revenue, not least because the next generation might be camera-shy. Yet without the head of steam created by YouTube, they admit the estate would be struggling, largely because Mapperton is an hour and a half from any major city or town. 'We just don't have the population density to get people to come. We've recognised that problem and removed it by saying you don't have to come in person.' Some 62 per cent of their audience are American – as are 99 per cent of their donors. When the Montagus were invited to speak at a conservation society in Alabama last year, they were treated like royalty by fans. 'They all wanted to have their photograph taken with us,' he says. 'We were very impressed by the Royal family at that point. If we had to do that every day, we'd be exhausted. 'This is what historic houses are about – connection,' he continues. 'We're all looking for connection in our lives. It's important that these estates are shared and understood and relevant – that's how they will survive.'