Sam Thompson’s tumultuous year: How the ex-Made In Chelsea star bounced back from breakup, burnout and rivalry with Zara McDermott’s A-List boyfriend to end 2025 on a high

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Sam Thompson is widely regarded as the happiest man in showbiz.

For the last year, despite always appearing happy, the former Made In Chelsea star has been going through a difficult time privately.

He’s been through a lot lately, including a difficult split from his girlfriend of five years, Zara McDermott, who is now with Louis Tomlinson from One Direction. He also experienced burnout and had to seek therapy to help him cope.

2025 looked like it could be a really difficult year for Sam, potentially disrupting a career that had been steadily gaining momentum. Things had taken off in 2023 when he won ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ and his career was on the rise.

After taking some time to focus on himself, 33-year-old Sam is doing better than ever. He’s regained his health, successfully performed a sold-out show at London’s O2 Arena, made a significant contribution to charity, and even found a new partner.

Following a short relationship with Samie Elishi from Love Island, Sam is now dating London-based DJ Talitha Balinska. The couple recently celebrated their first Christmas together, and people close to them say they are deeply in love.

A source close to Sam told The Daily Mail that the past year has been incredibly tough for him. 

Sam had a difficult start to 2025, and it’s unclear how much his split with Zara impacted him.

I’ve always been so impressed by Sam. They’ve faced some truly awful setbacks – things that would have completely broken most people – but they’ve not only survived, they’re actually thriving now. It’s incredibly inspiring to see.

Sam is doing well now and is excited about the future, with a strong focus on continued growth in 2026.

This time last year, Sam’s world was rocked by his breakup with Zara.

The filmmaker wasn’t just Sam’s partner; she also collaborated with him on funny videos online, which helped them both gain popularity.

Sam and Zara became household names thanks to their funny videos on TikTok, many of which starred Sam’s close friend and podcast partner, Pete Wicks. This popularity led to major TV opportunities: Sam appeared on ‘I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!’, and Zara joined ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.

Rumors began circulating that the couple, who were previously always together, had split after they spent the Christmas and New Year holidays separately. The Daily Mail reported the news just hours into 2025.

As a long-time fan, it’s so sad to hear about Zara and Sam’s split, but those closest to them say it really came down to how incredibly busy they both were. Zara was working hard on her BBC documentaries and then threw herself into Strictly last year, while Sam was all the way in Australia hosting the ‘I’m A Celeb’ spin-off show for months. Thankfully, they’ve both been clear that there wasn’t any drama or scandal involved, which is a relief to hear.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve seen heartbreak take many forms, and Sam’s situation was particularly tough. To add to the pain of their breakup, just three months later, news broke that Zara had quickly moved on with Louis, who’s 33. It really stung, and understandably so!

Someone close to the reality TV star shared that Zara’s very public new romance was difficult for Sam.

According to a source, Zara was expected to eventually start dating someone new, but Sam hoped her next relationship would be more private.

After his breakup, the last thing he wanted was to date someone so famous. It constantly reminded him of what he’d lost, and he ended up being dragged into their new relationship’s narrative – a situation he really disliked.

Sam was already struggling with burnout when the breakup happened, which made dealing with the emotional aftermath even more difficult.

He explained his recent struggles were caused by an incredibly demanding workload. Winning ‘I’m A Celebrity’ led to new opportunities, including a role on ‘This Morning’ and a radio show, which added even more to his already busy life.

Sam felt incredibly stressed and anxious, so much so that they mostly stayed home for half a year, only going out for work.

He discussed on the ‘I’m ADHD! No You’re Not’ podcast in October how incredibly difficult that time in his life was.

He explained that winning a previous reality show felt both positive and challenging. He’d always dreamed of being on ‘This Morning,’ and was thrilled when he got the call. Shortly after, he landed a new radio show, a three-times-a-week podcast, and a live tour. He also expanded into brand partnerships, enjoying digital marketing and running his own marketing agency alongside two other businesses.

Honestly, things were just moving so fast! After handling a ton of projects, I jumped right into the Unpacked show in Australia – I was completely energized and eager to tackle everything on my plate. It felt amazing to just dive in and get it all done.

I understand how anyone hearing this might be frustrated – it’s the kind of thing we all secretly want to do, but it’s also draining. I used to struggle with that, constantly battling with myself and trying to push past feelings of weakness.

I used to agree to every request, but it eventually caught up with me and I ended up completely exhausted. I realized burnout is a serious issue, so I’ve been prioritizing self-care and taking things slower this year.

Sam stepped away from public life for several weeks to prioritize his health, reducing his appearances and work commitments to focus on recovery.

He was traveling abroad when Zara and Louis announced they were a couple. Although someone apparently told him about it beforehand, it wasn’t the boost he needed to feel better.

Speaking to You magazine last week, Sam gave his first real insight into his split.

I’m not going to discuss Zara, both out of respect for them and because we’ve both agreed to keep things private.

No one I know likes going through a breakup. It was really tough for me, and I actually had to go to therapy to deal with it. I was so focused on work last year that I didn’t spend enough time with friends, family, or even taking care of myself.

He explained that a key lesson he learned was to prioritize rest. Trying to do too much without taking breaks can lead to burnout and illness, despite the desire to always push through.

Sam was highly motivated to get back on his feet because he was preparing for a huge career challenge: a tough 260-mile race to benefit UNICEF through this year’s Soccer Aid event.

To deliver the official match ball to Old Trafford before the England vs. Rest of the World game, the star completed a five-day running and cycling journey from London to Manchester – a distance comparable to running five marathons.

Even though he was suffering from a painful calf injury, Sam successfully completed his challenge and raised an amazing £1.5 million. However, immediately after finishing on June 6th, everyone began focusing on an upcoming match scheduled for nine days later, where he was set to play with Louis Tomlinson.

Photos of the rumored romantic rivals practicing together at the Soccer Aid headquarters in Tring, Hertfordshire, were all over the news. Reporters were asked not to mention Louis to Sam, in an effort to prevent more speculation.

In a recent episode of the Staying Relevant podcast, he shared what really happened with the boyband star, two days after the event itself. The event went smoothly, mainly because Sam had to withdraw due to an injury, although he did briefly return as a substitute and was applauded for supporting a charitable cause.

He explained that it wasn’t about personal relationships, specifically who anyone was dating. He emphasized that the event was for UNICEF, a charity, and everyone was attending for the same purpose: to raise money.

If he possesses the talent I’ve heard about, he’ll likely repeat the same idea, presenting it as something extraordinary.

Successfully completing Soccer Aid and finally facing his uncomfortable meeting with Louis marked a real change for Sam. He felt a huge weight lifted, and he was able to move forward with confidence again.

Just three months after that, he and Pete put on a live show called Staying Relevant that sold out to a crowd of 20,000 people. This performance really established them as leading figures in the quickly expanding world of podcasts.

Sam’s sister, Louise, age 35, is now helping him create TikTok videos, similar to how Zara used to. Sam has also found a new girlfriend, Talitha Balinska, after a few short relationships.

After dating for several months, the couple publicly confirmed their relationship on Instagram in December, and people close to Sam say he’s thrilled.

On his podcast, Sam shared the exciting news that he’s dating someone. He happily announced, ‘I have a girlfriend!’

It was a really low-key evening, honestly a bit boring, but that’s what I was hoping for. We had dinner, and I told them I liked them and asked if they’d be my boyfriend. I’m not sure why I’m so nervous thinking about it now.

He told her he had strong feelings for her and felt completely comfortable being himself around her. He explained that at 33, he wouldn’t pursue a relationship for so long if he didn’t see a future with her, and then he asked her to be his girlfriend. She said yes, which he was thrilled about.

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2026-01-03 12:07