ZARA McDermott has spoken about Sam Thompson for the first time after he was accused of “throwing her under the bus”.
The showbiz couple called it quits earlier this month after five years together.
To make the situation a little lighter, Zara took to Instagram and referenced Sam.
In their last TV appearance as a couple, they featured on Michael McIntyre’s Big Show – which awkwardly aired after they’d split.
But choosing not to shy away from it, Zara shared a clip of their time on the show on her Instagram stories.
In the programme, Michael is known for creeping into celebrities homes and surprising them in the middle of the night by barging into their bedrooms and giving them a wake-up call to take part in his game show.
Fans watched along as the comedian and TV host crept up the stairs of the plush Chelsea pad shared by the former TV lovebirds.
However, as he arrived at the top of the staircase, disaster struck as he discovered that Zara and Sam have a lock on their bedroom door which they keep tightly fastened each night.
It meant that he was unable to burst into the room as is the usual plan and instead was forced to knock and make some playful noises.
Michael then remarked: “He’s not gonna do it… he’s not gonna open the door.”
As Michael burst in to surprise the couple, it became apparent that Zara was the one to open the door.
The pair soon made the confession that they were expecting burglars to storm through the door after hearing the knocking.
Sam said: “I thought that we were being burgled.”
After shouting “Chelsea” at the door, it slowly opened very slightly as the camera was able to focus in to show Sam still laid down in the bed.
She giggled in the background and said: “I’m not joking when I say, we thought it was a burglar.
“We thought we were being robbed. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced in my life,” she laughed.
The former Love Island star urged fans to watch the show on BBC iPlayer.
She didn’t tag Sam in the post but the couple still follow each other on Instagram.
Their TV appearance led many fans to joke that the real reason for the couple’s break-up could be the fact that Sam allowed his girlfriend to open the door to what he believed was a robber.
Picking up on the moment, one viewer wrote on X – formerly Twitter: “I like how Sam Thompson thought he was getting burgled and sent Zara to open the door.”
It led someone else to reply: “No surprise they’ve split!”
Before a third person jokingly added: “REVEALED, THE REAL REASON FOR Sam and Zara’s SHOCK SPLIT Sam thought they were ‘being burgled’ and sent Zara to open the door.”
This comes after Sam was accused of “throwing Zara under the bus” after he spoke out about their split.
The Made in Chelsea star spent Christmas Day volunteering for charity after being left alone.
In a post that was swiftly deleted on Instagram, Sam originally described the day as “bleak” before getting involved with the charity.
After sparking concern, the reality star edited the message to say: “Bit of a different Christmas this year… What could have been another standard Christmas has turned out to be one that I’ll never forget!”
Zara, 28, commented on the post with a love heart and kisses, writing: “So proud of you, it’s so lovely that you chose to give up your Christmas Day to help others.”
Speaking on his Staying Relevant podcast with Pete Wicks, Sam admitted of Christmas: “It was tough. It’s been a tough month. A real tough month.
“I did charity on Christmas Day. Well, I was alone so I thought..”
Pete added: “My favourite message from you was when I asked ‘how was your Christmas’ and you replied ‘it was like being in a Christmas tomb’.”
However, sources close to the couple claim Sam’s change of tone about the day while addressing the split on his podcast was a dig at Zara.
An insider told The Sun: “Sam said he didn’t want to say much because ‘it wasn’t fair on other parties’, but cleverly managed to throw Zara under the bus anyway.
In a year of career highs, I’m A Celeb champion Sam became a darling of ITV, while Zara proved her talent as a BBC documentary-maker off the back of her Strictly success.
But behind the scenes, the popular pair struggled to paper over the insecurities and cracks in their five-year relationship – following a cheating scandal and family feuds.
A friend of the couple told The Sun: “Zara never felt like she was the priority with Sam. He always seemed to find someone or something to put before her.”
Pals say they were torn further apart as they clashed about their future plans – as Sam’s “immature” personality pushed him into the friendzone.
It led to them spending Christmas apart before calling off their relationship for good.
