Zara McDermott and Sam Thompson may not be the only ones to be affected by their shock split – as their beloved cats have been caught up in the romantic fall out.
The Love Island star, 28, and former Made In Chelsea star Sam, 32, began dating in 2019 and shocked fans this month when they revealed the relationship was over. The couple had first embarked on their romance after Sam ‘slid into the DMs’ of Zara and struck up a flirty conversation.
But the romance was not to last. Fans were concerned when the pair didn’t spend Christmas 2024 together – with reports emerging in early 2025 that the romance had come to a natural end. But it wasn’t just Sam and Zara in the relationship – as they both doted after their cats, Cedric and Albus.
Fans of the couple now think that Zara has won custody of the kitties after she took to social media on Monday with one of the animals looking blissfully cared for in her home. An Instagram Stories post showed Cedric looking very happy, eyes closed, and relaxed, while Zara affectionately stroked his fur.
She captioned the image with a simple statement, writing: “my world” – while fans could also see Albus in the background of the post too. The Mirror has contacted a representative of the couple for comment. The update comes after Sam previously referred to the pets as his children.
During his time in the I’m A Celebrity jungle in 2023, Sam tried to comfort fellow contestant Jamie Lynn Spears when she broke down in tears as she missed her children. The E4 reality star said at the time: “I get it man, I’ve got two cats at home – Albus and Cedric – little fluffy men. Know what I mean? So I get it. Not kids, but I get it.”
News of Sam and Zara’s split broke earlier this month with a source telling the 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.”
And a friend of the couple dragged up a past affair conducted by Zara as a possible bump that Sam never managed to get over. They claimed to the publication: “Zara and Sam’s relationship just never had felt like it was heading for the long haul.
“They never really recovered from Zara’s cheating, most couples would have struggled lasting for as long as they did afterwards. Zara had some big making up to do, especially with Louise, she really wasn’t happy when Sam took her back.”
Speaking on his Staying Relevant podcast on Monday, Sam appeared to allude to his romantic strife. He told co-host Pete Wicks: “It’s been a real tough month.”
Referring to his split as “the thing”, he also went on to discuss the fact paparazzi had been monitoring amid the reports of his split. He said: “I’ve never had paps and stuff because I’m so boring. I’ve never really had to deal with it.”
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