Zara McDermott is one of the celebrities Cha Cha Cha-ing across screens on Strictly Come Dancing every weekend.

The 26-year-old is best known now for her hard-hitting BBC documentaries on revenge porn, eating disorders, and rape culture. After finding fame on the fourth season of Love Island in 2018, Zara has also appeared on The X Factor: Celebrity and Made In Chelsea.

Zara is also well known for her relationship with Sam Thompson and frequently appears on his hilarious Instagram and TikTok videos. The couple have been together since 2019, except for a brief and explosive split, but have mended their relationship in the years since.

Let's take a look back at Zara's career, love life, and Strictly Come Dancing friendship...

Love Island

Zara started her career in 2018 on Love Island when she entered as a bombshell and turned the head of Adam Collard. At the time, Adam was coupled up with Rosie Williams and he sensationally dumped the lawyer for Zara.

Zara was dumped from Love Island after 10 days but rekindled her relationship with Adam when he was also dumped from the villa at a later date. The couple were together for 8 months before calling their relationship quits.

Speaking about her Love Island past ahead of her Strictly stint, Zara said: "I know, obviously, I am the first ever Love Island contestant to do it but I don't think there was ever a ban for it, I just think maybe the show wanted someone who had ventured out of that box. But look, I'm really proud of my background and where I've come from because I've grown so much and done so many things.

"It does feel absolutely incredible but also at the same time, I don't see myself that much as a reality person anymore with the work I do now."

Cheating scandal

Zara was embroiled in a very public and messy cheating scandal with her current partner Sam Thompson. The couple started dating in 2019, and during her time on The X Factory: Celebrity in 2020 it was revealed that Zara had an affair while competing on the show.

Sam, 31, ended their 16-month relationship after finding out Zara had cheated on him with Brahim Fouradi. A source close to Zara told The Sun at the time: "Sam suspected quite early on that something was going on between Zara and Brahim, and there was a big confrontation.

"She was spending increasing amounts of time with him backstage, and hanging around after hours. Sam found out and kicked off. He's devastated about how things have turned out."

Brahim works in the music industry and crossed paths with Zara, 26, during his tenure as an A&R director for Syco on the reality show. Sam and Zara split briefly, but managed to work out their issues and are still together today.

Sam Thompson

Zara and Sam are the embodiment of couple goals today but there was a while when their relationship hit rock bottom. After it was revealed that Zara cheated on Sam, the couple's break up featured heavily on Made In Chelsea.

Zara said at the time: "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."

The infamous scene where Zara and Sam sat on a park bench to discuss the affair saw the reality star beg for his forgiveness: "I have no justification for anything, the way that I've behaved, the way that I've acted, the things that I've done. It's just disgusting. I just want you to forgive me."

Sam replied to her: "There's absolutely no way, because how can there ever be a way. I can't even trust this." It was at this point that the clearly regretful Zara pleads with him to reconsider, crying: "No, stop. Please stop, please. You can, you can. You can do it, you can, please."

Following these scenes, the couple did manage to work through their issues and are still together today. Sam told The Sun: “I need to get the engagement sorted, but I don’t know when that would be. She [Zara] is filming two documentaries, she has Strictly coming up and so much on her plate. I am so proud of her.”

Strictly friendship

Zara has formed a close friendship with her Strictly co-star Graziano Di Prima while they work together on the BBC ballroom dancing series. Zara and Sam and Graziano and wife Giada Lini have formed a close bond with one another and have enjoyed meals together outside of rehearsals.

“She’s part of my family,” Graziano told OK! Magazine. “I think she sends more messages to my wife than me.”

“The other day, Graziano texted, ‘Where are you?’ and I was like, ‘I’m on the phone to Giada - soz!’” Zara added. “We are part of each other’s families and each other’s lives, and I think we will be for the foreseeable. You build such a close bond and partnership, you get to know each other so quickly that it’s like a really unbreakable bond.”

Zara even made the bold choice to cook Graziano and Giada a Bolognese when they came round for dinner. “I cooked Italian food for Italians, and Sam was like, ‘Why are you doing that? Why couldn’t you just cook something not Italian.’ But it went really well.”

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