Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott fans are convinced they know the real reason why the couple split after five years together.
The I’m A Celebrity winner, 32, and the former Love Island star, 28, have gone their separate ways just one month after Sam shared a gushing post about his ‘soul mate’ Zara on her birthday.
In the Instagram post, the radio presenter described Zara as his ‘best friend’ who is ‘stuck with him forever’.
He penned: ‘My best friend, and soul mate….some would say my person. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me forever. happy birthday. I love you so much, and wow have I missed you over the past month! Here’s to another amazing year with you’.
However, fans have now taken to the comments to say it was his lack of action that has prompted the pair to split as they said Sam should have asked Zara to marry him.
They wrote: ‘In the words of Beyonce. If you like it then you should put a ring on it’; Propose, no time like the present; Mate, buy her a ring FFS;
‘If she is going to be with you forever, why not put a ring on it. What are you waiting for; Get a ring on that finger’.
Another questioned: ‘How can going to be together two weeks ago to splitting up days later…this is rather extreme!!’
MailOnline have contacted both Sam and Zara representatives for comment.
The news comes as Sam complimented Jowita Przystał’s ‘unbelievable’ abdominals after she ‘whacked off her top’ in front of him.
The star released his first Staying Relevant podcast on Thursday following the news he has split from Zara.
During the podcast, Sam and his co-host Pete Wicks jokingly handed out their ‘Staying Relevant Awards’ including ‘Most Likely To Get Fired’ and ‘Biggest Failure’ among their team.
One of their awards was for ‘Best Team Member’ which Pete gave to his Strictly Come Dancing professional partner Jowita who appeared on the podcast while Sam was in Australia
He said: ‘Best new team member is up next, I think it’s obvious. It’s someone who helped us out while Sam was away, we all love her.
‘Some have said she’s a good replacement and potentially better. She’s part of one of 2024s most defining partnerships in TV land and she’s become a sensational part of this team. The winner is Jowita.’
Sam replied to say he recently saw Jowita’s abs and was blown away by them.
He said: ‘Gotta say, a cracking pair of abdominals as well. I couldn’t believe it, when she whacked off her top, I was like f***ing hell. Unbelievable, washboard. Never seen anything like it.’
Pete and Jowita reached the semi-final of last year’s Strictly which was won by comedian Chris McCausland and dancer Dianne Buswell.
It comes after MailOnline exclusively revealed his relationship with Zara is over after five years.
A source close to the couple told 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.
‘There has been no scandal or fallout between them, it’s just the result of a difficult year, where they both had to spend a lot of time focused on their own projects.’
The couple were last seen together celebrating Zara’s birthday in December, where Sam dedicated an Instagram post to his girlfriend, calling her his ‘soulmate’ and ‘best friend.’
Less than a week later, the former E4 star was pictured outside strip club Stringfellows on a 4am bender with TOWIE’s Pete Wicks.
Zara has been living at Sam’s west London home for years and the couple share two cats together, Albus and Cedric.
They have a close relationship with Sam’s sister Louise, who lives next door with fiancé Ryan Libbey and their three-year-old son Leo.
Sam, who presents podcast Staying Relevant with close friend Pete, features Zara in his online content, with the pair often teaming up on viral Instagram and TikTok videos.
The couple struggled to make their relationship work after Sam won I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! last year and his work schedule doubled.
They laughed off claims their romance was in trouble in June after being pictured arguing following Sam’s appearance on Soccer Aid.
In the same month, Sam was photographed being ‘consoled’ by Pete at the TRIC Awards amid reported growing tensions between him and Zara.
After earning a new presenting gig on ITV’s This Morning, Sam spent the end of 2024 in Australia co-hosting I’m A Celebrity spinoff Unpacked alongside Joel Dommett and Kemi Rodgers.
Meanwhile, Zara, who found fame on Love Island in 2018, has achieved her dreams by becoming a documentary maker for the BBC, fronting programmes which have explored Revenge Porn, Disordered Eating and Rape Culture.
The TV star also launched her first clothing label last year called Rise, which is available to buy at F&F at Tesco, and has successfully collaborated with beauty brands such as L’Oréal and Rio de Janeiro.
Zara became the first former Love Island contestant to be cast on Strictly Come Dancing last year, where she performed with axed professional dancer Graziano Di Prima.
The Italian dancer was sacked from the BBC series following allegations about his conduct towards Zara, who spoke out about her ‘distressing’ time in the training room.
She said: ‘I have wrestled with the fear of opening up, I was scared about public backlash, I was scared about my future, I was scared of victim shaming.
‘But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I’ve gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show.’
Graziano’s axing followed the departure of fellow dancer Giovanni Pernice who faced a BBC investigation over his treatment of actress Amanda Abbington, with a total of six out of 16 allegations against the pro upheld.
Zara returned to the Strictly studios this year to support friend Pete, who reached the semifinal of the competition.
Sam and Zara started dating after he privately messaged her on Instagram in 2019 but they split the following year.
Their romance came to a brief end after Zara admitted to cheating on Sam during the early days of their relationship as she appeared on Celebrity X Factor.
The radio host eventually forgave Zara during emotional scenes captured for Made In Chelsea, which the couple have since laughed about and even recreated.
Zara previously dated former Love Island contestant Adam Collard after they met on the show while Sam enjoyed romances with his ex-Chelsea co-stars Sophie Habboo and Tiffany Watson.
