Speculation was rife after the pair spent the festive period apart (Image: Getty Images)
Fans of and were left reeling this week amid swirling rumours that the couple had ended their five-year tumultuous romance. Speculation was rife after the pair spent the festive period and New Year’s Eve separately.
A source has now disclosed to OK! Magazine that despite their valiant efforts to mend their relationship, it ultimately wasn’t in the cards.
“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,” the insider revealed.
The source continued: “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.”
Express Online have approached Zara and Sam’s representatives for comment.
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Sam Thompson and Zara’s relationship started in 2019 (Image: Instagram)
While Zara stayed behind with their beloved cats, Albus and Cedric, 32 year old Sam was seen living it up at London’s Kensington Roof Gardens with his old Made In Chelsea friends Reza Amiri-Garroussi and Josh Patterson. A photo from the evening shared by Reza on captured the reality TV star downing a shot and exclaiming to his mates: “It’s going to be a memorable evening. I’m very very glad to be around all of you.”, reports .
Before the New Year’s Eve festivities kicked off, Sam dedicated his Christmas Day to volunteering, while Zara indulged in the holiday cheer with her family back in Essex. The ex-Made In Chelsea heartthrob initially hinted at a “bleak Christmas” on on December 25, but after fans raised eyebrows over the sombre note and questioned Zara’s absence, he quickly amended the caption to “standard Christmas,” as reported by OK!
With Zara engrossed in filming a documentary and Sam busy hosting the podcast ‘Staying Relevant’ with pal , it was clear they were carving out their own paths. By late 2024, their time apart became more pronounced, with Sam heading down under for I’m a Celeb and Zara fully immersed in her documentary projects.
An insider has now hinted that despite their attempts to keep the romance alive, the couple’s growing periods of separation have led to a breakup. “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 source disclosed.
“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 relationship between Zara McDermott and Sam Thompson hit turbulence in 2020 (Image: samthompsonuk/instagram)
The duo’s love story has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ever since Zara famously slid into Sam’s DMs on back in June 2019. Recalling those early flirtatious exchanges to OK!, Sam shared, “She slid into my DMs. It was great and I’m glad she did.”
The relationship between Zara McDermott and Sam Thompson hit turbulence in 2020 due to Zara’s admission of infidelity. Despite the hiccup, they emerged even tighter, engaging in frank dialogues about their trials.
Zara mulled over their past hurdles, stating, “You learn from your mistakes, no one is perfect. It’s something we all go through.”
Yet, despite enduring pledges like Sam fondly dubbing Zara as “my person” in a heartfelt birthday post igniting engagement rumours, friction has occasionally surfaced. The pair were caught in what looked like a fiery exchange last summer.
Photographs captured the duo during an intense talk just after Sam played in Soccer Aid 2024; Zara seemed animated, making emphatic gestures at Sam following the star-studded match. As they waited for their ride, the clash appeared heated.
Trying to quell gossip, Zara claimed the supposed spat was merely her offering “telling him positive affirmations in a very passionate manner,” Nevertheless, speculations ran wild, with talks suggesting the reality stars might be on the cusp of “crisis talks” for their romantic issues.
Regardless, both have since dispelled notions of discord, presenting a loved-up front on social media.
Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott with their cats Albus and Cedric (Image: Instagram/@zara_mcdermott)
While they have not publicly addressed the recent split rumours, Sam has posted an optimistic message about the future, stating that 2025 is going to be ‘amazing’ and ending his message with a kiss to the camera.
Despite Sam’s positive online persona, insiders claim that those close to the couple anticipated the breakup. “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.”