EXCLUSIVE: Zara McDermott ‘CHEATED on Sam Thompson early in their romance during her X Factor stint’ as the reason behind the couple’s shock split is revealed
- Love Island star Zara, 23, and Made In Chelsea’s Sam, 28, called quits on their romance last month, just weeks after enjoying a loved-up holiday in Mykonos
- A source revealed that the reported tryst took place between Zara and ‘someone in the music industry’ around the time she took part in X Factor: Celebrity
- She appeared on the series last summer into the autumn, as part of the Love Island pop group No Love Lost
- A source told MailOnline on Thursday: ‘Sam is obviously distraught about this. He only found out about it very recently. Zara knows it was a huge mistake’
- The end of their relationship comes days after Sam’s sister Louise posted a cryptic tweet about a friend ‘cheating’ and trust taking ‘seconds to break’
Sam Thompson split from Zara McDermott last month after he discovered she cheated on him a year ago, MailOnline can reveal.
A source revealed the tryst took place between Zara, 23, and ‘someone in the music industry’ around the time she took part in X Factor: Celebrity.
The reality star appeared on the series last summer and autumn, as part of the Love Island pop group No Love Lost.
Ex-Factor! Sam Thompson split from Zara McDermott last month after he discovered she cheated on him a year ago, MailOnline can reveal
At this point, she had been in a relationship with Sam, 28, for several months – but it’s said the Made In Chelsea star has only recently found out about the infidelity.
A source told MailOnline: ‘Zara cheated on Sam with someone in the music industry. Someone connected to the X Factor.
‘Sam is obviously distraught about this. He only found out about it very recently and has escaped for a few days.
‘Zara regrets it and feels terrible. She knows it was a huge mistake and is extremely upset.’
Love lost: A source revealed that the reported tryst took place between Zara, 23, and ‘someone in the music industry’ around the time she took part in X Factor: Celebrity in 2019 [pictured]
Behind the scenes: She appeared on the series last summer into the autumn, as part of the Love Island pop group No Love Lost [pictured with bandmates Wes Nelson, Eyal Booker and Samira Mighty]
The couple were an item for 16 months, with Zara joining Sam on his E4 show Made In Chelsea as a cast member.
On the show, she was seen declaring that she wants to marry and have children with Sam. She also moved in with him at the start of lockdown.
Zara reacted passionately when Sam’s ex Tiffany Watson returned to the series this year, upset at the mere idea that Tiff was back on the scene.
The last episode to air this year – before the series was cut short thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic – saw Zara in floods of tears over Sam’s civility towards his former-girlfriend Tiffany.
Betrayal! At this point, she had been in a relationship with Sam, 28, for several months – but it’s said Sam has only recently found out about the infidelity
Drama! The couple were an item for 16 months, with Zara joining Sam on his E4 show Made In Chelsea as a cast member and often seen upset with him
The exes have remained friends, with Sam even still pally with her father Clive. Yet they have both moved on since their long-term relationship.
While Sam was connected with former-cast member Mimi Bouchard before meeting Zara, Tiff was in another long-term relationship that ended earlier this year.
She has since been liked to MIC star Miles Nazaire and footballer Cameron McGeehan, whom she is now dating.
Zara – who found fame on Love Island two years ago – and Sam called quits on their romance last month, just weeks after enjoying a loved-up holiday in Mykonos.
The end of their relationship comes days after Sam’s sister Louise, 30, posted a cryptic tweet about a friend ‘cheating’ and trust taking ‘seconds to break’.
Back on the scene: Zara was also seen to react passionately when Sam’s ex Tiffany Watson [pictured] returned to the show this year
‘Hasn’t been easy’: The pair called quits on their romance last month, just weeks after enjoying a loved up holiday in Mykonos
A source told MailOnline on Thursday: ‘Zara and Sam split towards the end of last month. They had been arguing a lot since moving in together as a result of lockdown and things just built up between them.
‘Zara has moved back to her parents’ house in Essex where she’s taking some time for herself, she really loved Sam so this hasn’t been easy for her.
‘Sam has gone away to have a break from it all and clear his head away from Zara and social media.’
Protective? On MIC, Zara was seen declaring that she wants to marry and have children with Sam. She also moved in with him at the start of lockdown
Louise tweeted last Wednesday, ‘Cheaters always want you to be loyal while they’re being unfaithful,’ which prompted fans to assume she had trouble in her own relationship with fiancé Ryan Libbey.
Days later she sparked further speculation by posting: ‘Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair’ followed by ‘I’m proud of my heart. It’s been played, stabbed, cheated, burned and broken… somehow still works.’
An insider told MailOnline: ‘Things between Louise and Ryan are really great. Her tweet last week was actually aimed at a friend.’
Zara and Sam, who regularly post on Instagram and TikTok together, haven’t shared any content as a couple since August.
Sisterly love: Louise tweeted, ‘Cheaters always want you to be loyal while they’re being unfaithful,’ which prompted fans to assume she had trouble in her own relationship with Ryan Libbey [pictured]
But an insider told MailOnline: ‘Things between Louise and Ryan are really great. Her tweet last week was actually aimed at a friend’
The couple went public with their romance in May 2019, four months after Zara’s split from Love Island co-star Adam Collard.
Speaking in July, Zara said: ‘I have learnt more about Sam in the last couple of months than I have the whole of last year. Sam is quite a weird person.
‘He needs his space but also likes attention and it’s been hard to know when to give him his boy time and when to be a really attentive girlfriend.
‘It hasn’t been plain sailing for us like we have argued over the most stupid things. I would think “Why am I arguing with Sam over who’s unloading the dishwasher today?”
‘Sometimes I will do the wrong thing and he’ll do the wrong thing but it’s part of being in a relationship.’
Trouble in paradise: The couple went public with their romance in May 2019, four months after Zara’s split from Love Island co-star Adam Collard
The one? Zara had told MailOnline she believed her relationship with Sam would be long-lasting and had dreams of the pair marrying
Zara had told MailOnline she believed her relationship with Sam would be long-lasting and had dreams of the pair marrying.
She said: ‘I would not be with someone who I couldn’t see myself being with forever. I know him well enough to know the way we work and being able to smile and laugh everyday is not something I’ve never had before.
‘Sam teaches me not to take myself so seriously. He brings out all the good in me and that’s all I want in a person.
‘His sister Louise is like a sister to me now, we are super close and lockdown has bought us together so much.
‘I don’t know how we’re going to have time apart now. I do love him so much – he’s the sweetest thing.’
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