Zara McDermott hinted at split with Sam Thompson WEEKS ago as she explained why she didn’t travel to Australia with him

LOVE Island star Zara McDermott hinted that she and boyfriend Sam Thompson were headed for breaking up weeks ago.

Last year Sam Thompson flew out to Australia to present I'm A Celebrity Unpacked alongside Joel Dommett and Kemi Rodgers.

As the jungle's winner the year before, Sam was needed to give commentary on the ITV show and interview those leaving.

However he made the trip alone as Zara couldn't join Sam due to work commitments as she shared on an Instagram Q&A that Sam had headed out to Oz alone.

Zara responded to a fan at the time, and explained: "You guys are funny. I've had this question so many times! Well firstly I'm filming my documentary about stalking at the moment and it's really not possible to take time off filming at short notice."

Zara also said the time difference and working hours would make it tricky.

She added: “Let's see, if he ends up going back next year for another season then I'll definitely go out there if I can.”

News of the couple's split broke on New Year's Day after they spent Christmas apart, with it now being confirmed they've ended their relationship after 'a tough year'.

A source close to the couple told : "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."

Whilst she might be starting 2025 off as a single woman, Zara will have no time to dwell on a broken heart as her career goes from strength to strength.

Zara, who rose to fame on Love Island in 2018, has appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, has previously landed a brand partnership with L’Oréal and launched her clothing range, Rise, with Tesco.

She's also fronted a documentary titled Ibiza: Secrets of the Party Island over the summer where she explored what makes Ibiza tick.

In October it was announced she had landed a brand new BBC two-part documentary exploring the impact of stalking, further cementing herself as a force to be reckoned with.

She's also built significant wealth according to her latest accounts with Companies House, which saw her wealth soar from £142,726 to £309,913 in the space of 12 months.