Sam Thompson’s romance with Talitha Balinska heats up: TV star moves on from Zara McDermott with model who hails from VERY starry family and she’s already met his sister

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Sam Thompson and model Talitha Balinska are getting serious! Their relationship is progressing, and they’ve reached a new milestone.

People say 33-year-old podcaster Sam and 25-year-old Talitha are very close, after being introduced by Sam’s friend and former co-star on the show Made In Chelsea, Reza Amiri-Garroussi.

Talitha and Sam first connected in 2023 while working on a photoshoot for Dinelli, Sam and Reza’s sunglasses brand. Talitha was the model for the campaign, but Sam was dating Zara McDermott at the time.

Talitha and Sam recently rekindled their relationship after a surprising reunion. Talitha was invited as a guest to Sam’s sold-out live show at London’s O2 Arena, and according to a source, they hit it off immediately and are now back together.

Oh my gosh, you guys, Sam *finally* brought Talitha around to meet his family! I mean, his *sister* Louise, and her fiancé Ryan, and even little Leo! It’s a huge deal, I’m telling you! It totally confirms this isn’t just a fling – Sam is seriously into Talitha, and introducing her to the family is proof! I’m so excited for them!

The previous champion is sure to want to make a good impression on Talitha’s famous family.

According to a source, Sam and Talitha have fallen for each other. They felt an instant connection when they met in 2023, but Sam was already dating Zara at the time.

Reza was a great friend to Sam as he healed, and including Talitha in his concert plans was a really thoughtful thing to do.

After getting back in touch after the podcast, things quickly fell into place. Sam’s friends are thrilled to see him doing well again, especially after a difficult six months following his breakup with Zara.

Sam is very family-oriented, so it’s important to him that his girlfriend, Talitha, gets to know his family. She’s already met his siblings, Louise, Ryan, and Leo, which is a significant milestone for their relationship.

Talitha is a stunning woman with an interesting family background. Her half-sister is a Hollywood actress, and her father, Count Balinski-Jundzill, is married to former model Sophie Anderton. She clearly fits into the affluent lifestyle associated with his Chelsea neighborhood.

Sam is dating Talitha, whose father, Kaz Balinski, is a Polish aristocrat working in the oil industry. Her mother is Vanessa Balinska, Kaz’s former wife.

I often get asked about family connections in the industry, and it’s fun to share! I have three siblings, and my sister Ella actually got to work with Kirsten Dunst in the 2019 *Charlie’s Angels* movie – a really cool experience for her, and our family!

Kaz was married to TV chef Lorraine Pascale before they divorced in 2000. More recently, in 2023, he married Sophie, who is known for being on reality TV shows like Love Island, I’m A Celebrity, and Celebrity Big Brother.

Okay, so after things ended with Zara late last year, I was SO excited when Sam started dating Samie from Love Island! I really thought they could be something special, but sadly, it just didn’t last. It was only a few months, which is a total bummer, honestly. I was really rooting for them!

Recently, Zara has started dating Louis Tomlinson from the band One Direction. He revealed in a podcast last week that he’s “completely in love” with her.

People first saw them together in March, and they’ve since been photographed sharing intimate kisses. Zara often travels with Louis to support him and his work as a musician.

I’ve noticed Sam’s been trying to act like it doesn’t bother him that Zara’s dating Louis. It was actually kind of funny – he even played One Direction’s ‘Steal My Girl’ during his show at the O2, and the place was packed with like, 17,000 people! It felt like a little dig, but he’s trying to be a good sport about it, I guess.

Zara used to be good friends with Sam’s sister, Louise, who lives nearby. However, they reportedly stopped talking after the breakup.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve seen firsthand how sudden fame can strain even the strongest relationships. Sam and Zara, for example, sadly split about a year after his win on ‘I’m A Celeb.’ It really ramped up his work commitments, and unfortunately, their relationship couldn’t withstand the pressure.

Sam balances a lot! In addition to co-hosting the Staying Relevant podcast with his close friend Pete Wicks, he’s a regular on This Morning, manages multiple businesses, and partners with various brands on social media.

Sam recently shared in a podcast that winning the ITV jungle show had a mixed impact on his life. While it was a positive experience, it also made it difficult to manage his work and personal commitments.

He said: ‘I got burnout last year, no one knows that actually.

Winning the show the year before had been both amazing and challenging. It was a dream come true – I’d always wanted to be on the show and meet Ant & Dec, and I made some incredible friends. But coming home after that experience was a bit of an adjustment, as you can imagine.

Honestly, landing a job on This Morning was a dream come true – when they called, I practically shouted ‘yes!’ And things just kept getting better! I also got a new radio show, which was amazing, plus a podcast I do three times a week and a live tour! On top of all that, I’m really passionate about digital marketing and growing my Instagram, so I started my own marketing agency and now I’m juggling that with two other businesses. It’s a lot, but I absolutely love it!

After handling everything else, I participated in Unpacked, an Australian show, and I was eager to fully immerse myself in the experience.

I understand how anyone hearing this might be frustrated – it’s the kind of thing we all secretly want to do, but it’s still draining. I used to struggle with this, constantly battling with myself and telling myself to toughen up.

I used to agree to every request, but by the end of the year, I was completely overwhelmed. It really proved that burnout is a serious issue, so I had to scale back my commitments this year.

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2025-10-15 17:49