Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott ‘split’ after five years together

Work commitments are said to have driven them apart

Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott have ended their five-year relationship, it’s been reported.

Former King of the Jungle Sam is said to have grown apart from Zara, with the pair appearing to spend both Christmas and New Year apart.

Sam volunteered for a charity on Christmas Day, while Zara spent the day with her family. Come New Year’s Eve, Zara was at home with her cats, while Sam was downing shots at London’s Kensington Roof Gardens.

His outing came days after he was pictured outside Stringfellows with pal Pete Wicks.

Sam Thompson spent the festive period apart from Zara, it’s claimed (Credit: Splash News)

Sam Thompson and Zara ‘call it quits’

Zara has been living at Sam’s West London home for years and the couple share two cats together, Albus and Cedric. However, it’s said work commitments have forced them apart in recent months.

Sam has been out in Australia hosting I’m A Celebrity spin-off show Unpacked. Zara, meanwhile, was unable to join Sam in Oz. Instead, she’s been in Blighty launching the second drop of her clothing line Rise and continuing to film her BBC documentaries.

The reported split comes at the end of a tough year for the couple, after Zara came forward with allegations about her Strictly partner Graziano Di Prima.

Zara spent New Year’s Eve at home with her cats while Sam was partying (Credit: Splash News)

‘They still have a lot of love for each other’

According to the Daily Mail, a source close to the couple alleged: “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. They 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.”

Sam and Zara were together for five years (Credit: Splash News)

The couple were last seen together celebrating Zara’s birthday in December. Sam dedicated an Instagram post to his girlfriend. In it, he called her his “soulmate” and “best friend”.

ED! has contacted reps for Zara and Sam for comment.

Sam breaks silence

Earlier today, Sam took to Instagram to issue a statement about his hopes for the coming year. In a video clip, shared to his Stories, he told how 2025 will be the “best year yet’.

He said in the upbeat clip: “New Year! 2025 baby come on let’s have it! I can’t wait. The New Year is going to be amazing and you’re going to have the best year ever. And you know I’m always right.”