Sam Thompson and his girlfriend Zara McDermott are reportedly having ‘relationship crisis talks’.
The I’m A Celebrity winner, 31, was pictured in tears at the TRIC Awards earlier this week and had to be consoled by his best friend, Pete Wicks, 36.
Now sources say Sam’s heartache was caused by a ‘blazing row’ with Zara, 27, which saw her pack her bags last weekend and leave the London home they share.
A source close to the couple revealed to The Sun they are now trying to ‘patch things up’.
The insider said: ‘Since Christmas, Zara and Sam have been really busy with work and have had little quality time to see each other and as a result, their relationship has suffered.
‘They’ve both wanted to make the most of their careers and say yes to all the exciting opportunities offered to them.
‘Last weekend it came to a head and they had a big row. It was very upsetting and they needed some time to let the dust settle.’
According to the publication, Zara went to stay with her parents in Essex before she headed to a modelling job in Majorca.
The Love Island star proceeded to post a cryptic message about staying positive as she quoted: ‘When life gives you lemons’ alongside a picture of her posing in a minidress.
She is now back in Britain and the pair are believed to be trying to salvage their relationship.
The insider also added she returned home to try and ‘iron out their differences’.
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Sam and Zara for comment.
It comes after Sam was consoled by Pete as he emotionally broke down in tears while attending the TRIC Awards on Tuesday night.
In pictures exclusively obtained by MailOnline, the Made In Chelsea star was spotted during an emotional exchange with his close friend in the smoking area at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.
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The images showed Sam breaking down in tears before Pete sweetly embraced him, appearing to give the reality star a pep talk.
According to onlookers, the pair spent 30 minutes in the smoking area together, with Sam breaking down in tears once again after being comforted by Pete.
It also comes just weeks after Sam was locked in a similarly dramatic chat with his girlfriend though the star has since insisted that they were just having a ‘passionate pep talk.’
The pair had been pictured together at the Soccer Aid afterparty, where they appeared to engage in a heated exchange.
However, Zara took to Instagram the following day to address the pictures and said she was telling the reality star ‘positive affirmations’ after it looked like they were arguing.
She wrote: ‘Why did this make me laugh so much btw [laughing emojis] ‘Stop saying you should have scored!!!! You did your best and that’s all that matters!! You need to stop doubting yourself!!!’
‘It looks like we are having an argument but I’m actually telling him positive affirmations in a very passionate manner.’
Zara appeared frustrated as she visibly waved her arms around while deep in a tense chat – but now confirmed it was just an incredibly passionate conversation.
Earlier in the day, supportive girlfriend Zara cheered on the TV star as he helped England secure a 6-3 win against World XI in the charity match.
The pair have been dating for four years after the Love Island star ‘slid into his DMs’.
Back in 2020 they split briefly after he learned she had cheated on him with a colleague while appearing on X Factor: Celebrity, before rekindling their romance with the scenes played out on Made In Chelsea.
Earlier this month, Sam admitted that he was ‘never really himself’ on Made In Chelsea due to his ADHD struggles as he shared how his diagnosis impacts his relationship with Zara.
In an interview with TikTok star Holly Morris, during an Inside Out 2 press junket, the reality star was asked when he stopped masking and began acting as his true self.
Sam answered: ‘When I was on Made In Chelsea, a lot of the time I wasn’t even really, really myself, I was who I thought I should be. ‘Cause everyone else was doing these things, I was like: “I should be doing these things.”
‘Only in the past couple of years have I been fully, fully me. I am not super Mr. Happy Golden Retriever every single day.
The 2023 King Of The Jungle also opened up about how his ADHD affects his relationship with documentary maker Zara after landing a brief role in the Disney Pixar film.
Sam told Holly: ‘I’ve got home me, which is with Zara, which, actually, poor girl, literally sometimes I won’t speak for like an hour.
‘Why? ‘Cause, you’re like: “My social battery’s completely dead.” But then there’s like excitable me which is like through the roof up there.’
He added: ‘I get that to the point where I will sometimes talk to myself over when they’re talking to me.
‘So, when Zara’s talking to me, she’ll be telling me a story about her day, and I’m like, “All right, this is it. This the moment where you need to be a good boyfriend. This is the crux. She wants to feel heard.
‘So, I’ll be like: OK, go! “How was your day?” And she’ll tell me about her day, and my mind goes: “I don’t know what she just said.”‘
Sam was diagnosed with ADHD, Tic syndrome, and autism in 2023.
In an April interview with a young boy on his radio show, Sam said of ADHD: ‘I think it’s a complete and utter superpower’.
‘I think that you are creative, you hyper-fixate on things you enjoy and you absolutely love.
‘I think a massive thing Thomas, and this is probably the best advice I can give you, is find something that you absolutely adore, and put all of that ADHD into it cause you will succeed in anything you do if you enjoy it.
‘I promise you, ADHD, if you are doing something you love, it’s a superpower and you will literally be the best in the room.
‘And I’m very very happy that I have an ADHD brother, a neurodiverse brother like you, my man’.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
