Zara McDermott's cheating on Sam Thompson and 'fake tears' over X Factor fling

Zara McDermott famously broke down on Made in Chelsea as she admitted to cheating on boyfriend Sam Thompson in shocking scenes

Zara McDermott's relationship with Sam Thompson has seen its fair share of ups and downs in the five years they've dated.

The tumultuous pair are said to have come to blows for the final time just before Christmas - choosing to go their separate ways over the holiday season. Sam was seen on New Year's Eve downing shots with his former Made in Chelsea cast members before bragging about 2025 being his 'best year ever.' While Zara saw in the new year home alone with the couple's cats.

It comes after months of rumours about the pair's relationship status, during which they were seen having a row in the street.

Fans of the couple will recall how they previously overcame their survived their biggest hurdle to date when Zara admitted to cheating on Sam while appearing as a contestant on The X Factor: Celebrity.

In 2020, their relationship imploded in spectacular fashion after Zara made a very tearful confession during dramatic scenes on Made in Chelsea - before Sam ultimately decided to take her back.

We take a look at how the drama unfolded...

Who did Zara cheat with?

In 2019 Zara competed on X Factor: Celebrity as part of No Love Lost with Love Island co-stars Samira Mighty, Wes Nelson and Eyal Booker while she was in a relationship with Sam.

It was later revealed that Zara had been getting to know Brahim Fouradi, a music industry executive who worked behind the scenes on the show a little too closely.

Brahim is a music industry boss who also worked closely on TV talent shows like The X Factor as part of his role as A&R director at Simon Cowell's company Syco.

Zara confessed she'd looked elsewhere because she thought her relationship with Sam was coming to end. Opening up to his pal Jamie Laing at the time, Zara said: "When it happened I genuinely thought that me and Sam were going to break up, inevitably. I just thought we were hanging on by a tiny thread and we're going to break up."

Looking disappointed, Jamie replied, "Listen, from a guy's point of view I just wouldn't make any excuses for it, obviously."

That Grovelling apology

At the time, Zara issued a grovelling apology once her affair came to light with the scenes filmed for Made In Chelsea. Opening up to her mistake, the star said she felt terrible for the "pain and embarrassment" she had caused.

She said: "A huge mistake I made a year ago has recently come to light and I want to face this head on. I don’t condone being unfaithful and I made a huge mistake at a time in my life where I was hugely selfish and immature.

She continued: "I believe I have learnt so much from my mistake. I want to apologise to my Sam for everything I have put him through, for the pain, the embarrassment, the anger and the hurt. All I want to do is make this right and I think the least he deserves is me being honest with myself and all of you. I love you Sam. Forever x'."

'Fake tears'

Zara was brutally accused of "fake crying" as her tearful apology aired on Made in Chelsea in 2020. She admitted she slept with music boss Brahim Fouradi while she was filming the ITV show in 2019, and made the tearful admission to a heartbroken Sam.

Sobbing during a dinner with her friends, she said: "I did something really bad, around a year ago and slept with someone."

Later, sitting on a park bench with Sam, Zara sobbed as she begged for Sam's forgiveness and implored him not to end things with her after she repeatedly slept with someone else and did not admit it until a year later. "I know you won't believe a word I say, but I know we've built such a bond over the last year since everything's happened, and I know this has been bubbling in my mind for so long," Zara pleaded.

Zara said she wanted to tell him but she just couldn't bear to, and Sam replied that he had done some "f***ed up s**t" in his past, but never anything that "seedy". He ranted: "The seediness of consistently s******g, while you're calling me, to tell me you can't come home when the rest of your band are at home in bed with their other halves.

"That is not the person I know at all, you have that in you, you don't just do that out of nowhere."

Zara called her own behaviour "disgusting" and said she hated herself, while Sam simply replied that he did not believe a word she said. He told her he could never trust her but he did not want to check up on her all the time and always worry about who she was speaking to.

"You didn't even feel guilt until you got caught, you were still liking his photos, there is guilt now because you have been caught," he raged. "Please, I don't want to throw this away, I genuinely believe with my whole heart we can get through this," Zara cried.

But Sam told her he wasn't so sure and needed space, leaving her crying alone on the bench. Viewers had no sympathy for Zara, as one tweeted: "Zara’s attempt of crying there was something else".

"Zara's performance was sponsored by Johnson's Baby Shampoo #notears #madeinchelsea " joked another. Another remarked: "Zara’s face is bone dry" while a fourth added: "Why is Zara pretending to cry lol #MadeInChelsea ".

Another quipped: "I’m getting second hand embarrassment from Zara’s fake crying".

Sam's firm belief she'd never cheat again

After much grovelling, Zara was eventually able to win Sam's forgiveness with the pair going on to successfully rekindle their romance. Sam revealed they were back together, claiming “We all make mistakes”.

Last year, the cheating scandal was brought back into the spotlight when Zara signed up to another reality show - Strictly Come Dancing, making her the first Love Island star to compete. Questions were raised about the 'infamous Strictly curse' given Zara's past antics.

However Sam was insisted Zara wouldn't do the dirty on him again. Speaking on his Staying Relevant podcast with Pete Wicks, Sam opened up about the possibility of his partner succumbing to the curse after her previous history.

Defending his girlfriend Sam said, "She was 22… so f****** young. You know when you look at them and you go, 'She ain't going to do that again? I could see in her face.! He added: "You'd be some w***** to have done it yourself and can't forgive."

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