Sam Thompson admitted feeling lonely in relationship with Zara McDermott as pair struggled with long distance

SAM Thompson has opened up to pal Peter Wicks about feeling lonely while he was in Australia recently.

Heading Down Under to present the I’m A Celebrity Unpacked alongside Joel Dommett and Kemi Rodgers in November 2024, the reality TV star alluded to his loneliness.

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

During the trip, his now ex-girlfriend Zara McDermott stayed on British soil, saying at the time on an Instagram Live that taking time off from filming her documentary about stalking wouldn’t have been possible.

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

And as news of the couple’s split broke on New Year’s Day, a recent ‘Staying Relevant’ podcast with friend Pete Wicks shows the Made in Chelsea star had admitted to feeling lonely while he was there without her.

Sat on a sofa speaking to Pete he said: “Ant and Dec‘s families are so lovely.”

“I think they realised I was a little bit lonely out there, so they basically invited me for some dinners, and I don’t know if Ant and Dec actually knew that I was turning up for a lot of them.”

With the time difference causing communication problems for the then loved-up pair, Sam then told how he had accidentally gatecrashed a date with Dec and his wife, Ali.

He said: “There was one time when Dec was on a date with his wife when I messaged and said I just went to that really nice osteopath you recommended.”

After Ali messaged back saying: “Oh we’re just around the corner come and say hello,” Sam admitted that when he did, Dec turned around and said: “What the f**k are you doing here?”

After revealing he had pulled up a chair to join them on their date night, Pete replied: “So you third wheeled?” to which he said: “I then walked them back to their apartment.”

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The weekly podcast is hosted by Sam and Pete and explores what it takes to stay relevant in the public eye.

The podcast covers topics such as public appearances, brand campaigns, and reality TV. It also features occasional special guests.

Fans were quick to comment, with one saying: “Sam is a national treasure,” while another said: “This is gold!”

Since news of their split broke, 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.”