Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott have split, MailOnline can exclusively reveal.
The couple have decided to end their five-year relationship, which has seen them travel and build a home together, after growing apart.
Former King of the Jungle Sam, 32, celebrated New Year’s Eve by partying with his ex-Made In Chelsea co-stars Reza Amiri-Garroussi and Josh Patterson at London’s Kensington Roof Gardens, downing shots, while Zara, 28, spent the evening at home with her cats.
They also had separate Christmases after Sam volunteered for a charity and Zara stayed with her close family in Upminster, Essex.
Zara, who starred on last year’s Strictly Come Dancing, spent the run up to the festive season without Sam given he was in Australia working on I’m A Celeb spinoff show Unpacked.
She was unable to join him Down Under due to her own work commitments, including launching the second drop of her clothing line Rise and continuing to film her BBC documentaries.
Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott have split, MailOnline can exclusively reveal
The couple have decided to end their five-year relationship, which has seen them travel and build a home together, after growing apart
Zara, who starred on last year’s Strictly Come Dancing, spent the run up to the festive season without Sam given he was in Australia working on I’m A Celeb spinoff show Unpacked
A source close to the couple told MailOnline: ‘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.’
Less than a week later, the former E4 star was pictured outside strip club Stringfellows on a 4am bender with TOWIE’s Pete Wicks.
Zara has been living at Sam’s west London home for years and the couple share two cats together, Albus and Cedric.
They have a close relationship with Sam’s sister Louise, who lives next door with fiancé Ryan Libbey and their three-year-old son Leo.
Sam, who presents podcast Staying Relevant with close friend Pete, features Zara in his online content, with the pair often teaming up on viral Instagram and TikTok videos.
MailOnline has contacted Zara and Sam’s representatives for comment.
Sam volunteered for a charity on Christmas Day while Zara spent the festive period with her close family
Former King of the Jungle Sam celebrated New Year’s Eve by partying with his ex-Made In Chelsea co-stars Reza Amiri-Garroussi and Josh Patterson
The former E4 star was filmed taking shots and celebrating the New Year with a group of friends at Kensington Roof Gardens
Binky Felstead’s former partner Josh joined Sam on Tuesday evening as they rang in the New Year
Meanwhile, Zara wished her fanbase a Happy New Year from home, picturing one of her cats on Instagram story
The couple struggled to make their relationship work after Sam won I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! last year and his work schedule doubled.
They laughed off claims their romance was in trouble in June after being pictured arguing following Sam’s appearance on Soccer Aid.
In the same month, Sam was photographed being ‘consoled’ by Pete at the TRIC Awards amid reported growing tensions between him and Zara.
After earning a new presenting gig on ITV’s This Morning, Sam spent the end of 2024 in Australia co-hosting I’m A Celebrity spinoff Unpacked alongside Joel Dommett and Kemi Rodgers.
Meanwhile, Zara, who found fame on Love Island in 2018, has achieved her dreams by becoming a documentary maker for the BBC, fronting programmes which have explored Revenge Porn, Disordered Eating and Rape Culture.
The TV star also launched her first clothing label last year called Rise, which is available to buy at F&F at Tesco, and has successfully collaborated with beauty brands such as L’Oréal and Rio de Janeiro.
Sam spent the end of 2024 in Australia hosting I’m A Celeb spinoff Unpacked after winning the ITV show last year
Zara became the first former Love Island contestant to sign up for Strictly Come Dancing last year
Dancer Graziano Di Prima was sacked from the BBC series following allegations about his conduct towards Zara, who spoke out about her ‘distressing’ time in the training room
Zara became the first former Love Island contestant to be cast on Strictly Come Dancing last year, where she performed with axed professional dancer Graziano Di Prima.
The Italian dancer was sacked from the BBC series following allegations about his conduct towards Zara, who spoke out about her ‘distressing’ time in the training room.
She said: ‘I have wrestled with the fear of opening up, I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming.
‘But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I’ve gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.’
Graziano’s axing followed the departure of fellow dancer Giovanni Pernice who faced a BBC investigation over his treatment of actress Amanda Abbington, with a total of six out of 16 allegations against the pro upheld.
Zara returned to the Strictly studios this year to support friend Pete, who reached the semifinal of the competition.
The couple were last seen together celebrating Zara’s birthday last month, where Sam dedicated an Instagram post to his girlfriend, calling her his ‘soulmate’ and ‘best friend’
Sam and Zara started dating after he privately messaged her on Instagram in 2019
The couple have a close relationship with Sam’s sister Louise and her fiancé Ryan as well as former TOWIE star Pete
Sam and Zara started dating after he privately messaged her on Instagram in 2019 but they split the following year.
Their romance came to a brief end after Zara admitted to cheating on Sam during the early days of their relationship as she appeared on Celebrity X Factor.
The radio host eventually forgave Zara during emotional scenes captured for Made In Chelsea, which the couple have since laughed about and even recreated.
Zara previously dated former Love Island contestant Adam Collard after they met on the show while Sam enjoyed romances with his ex-Chelsea co-stars Sophie Habboo and Tiffany Watson.
