Zara McDermott confess missing boyfriend Sam Thompson due to busy rehearsal schedule
Zara McDermott, a prominent figure from Strictly, has recently expressed her challenges in balancing her demanding rehearsals with her personal life, particularly her relationship with her boyfriend. McDermott, known for her appearance on Love Island, has been partnered with the talented Graziano Di Prima.
She candidly admitted that their rigorous 11-hour daily practice sessions often result in her partner, radio DJ Sam Thompson, being occupied with work by the time she returns home. In fact, McDermott has resorted to rehearsing her dance steps with one of her cats, Albus or Cedric, as her boyfriend is not available. Despite these obstacles, McDermott remains determined to not fall victim to the infamous “Strictly curse” associated with the show.
She said: ‘We did 11 hours last week, 8-7pm and we really didn’t stop.
‘Sam does his radio show every evening so when I come home from training, he’s at work so I rehearse on my own or use one of the cats.
‘But he has been amazing… we talk all the time on the phone, especially because I’m at rehearsals a lot.
‘He is always at the end of the phone if I need to chat and he’s super supportive. He’s very positive.’
Despite having cheated on Mr. Thompson with music boss Brahim Fouradi in 2019 while appearing on X Factor: Celebrity, Ms. McDermott has repeatedly evaded questions regarding the possibility of being affected by the Strictly curse. Additionally, she has acknowledged that had she only appeared on Love Island in 2018, it is unlikely that she would have been approached to participate in Strictly.
As the first-ever contestant from the ITV2 dating show to be invited to take part in the BBC One dance extravaganza, Ms. McDermott attributes her selection to her subsequent involvement in serious documentaries, which impressed the show’s producers.
She said: ‘I don’t think there was necessarily a ban or anything like that on Love Island contestants or reality contestants at all.
‘I just think it’s who fits right for the show and I don’t see myself as just a ‘Love Island contestant’ that’s something that I did when I was 21 but I’m 26 now and for the last four years I have been working so hard to make the documentaries that I make so that’s had a lot to do with the reason why I’m on the show now because of the work that I’ve done in addition to Love Island and not just because of that.
‘I am not in any way shape or form ashamed of my past, I think every single thing that I have done has been a steppingstone to becoming the woman that I am today, and it has given me an amazing platform, so I don’t think there’s necessarily a stigma around it to be honest.’
Since leaving the villa, Ms McDermott went on to front BBC documentaries that explore issues such as rape culture, eating disorders, and revenge porn.
One of her shows was Gaia: A Death on Dancing Ledge, where she delved deeper into the disappearance of teen Gaia Pope.
Mr Di Prima, 29, praised her for her work, saying: ‘I have seen Zara’s documentaries… I am Italian, aside from Strictly and dancing and eating, apart from those things, I don’t have time to watch TV to be honest with you.
‘But I obviously knew her, and Sam and I started to do my research about her documentaries, and I love that she’s worked with so many inspiring people.
‘I am the type of guy that I feel emotional every time… I was crying watching a video at someone being extraordinary the other day so imagine me watching her documentaries.
‘We have spoken a lot about it, what it feels like to be in front of people that are struggling in life, I am a person that wants to learn a lot, so I have been asking questions about how it works. I have been learning in our lunch breaks.’
The couple performed the quickstep during the Saturday night show, accompanied by George Ezra’s track “Anyone For You.” This routine marked their second appearance on Strictly, following their cha-cha-cha performance in last week’s inaugural live broadcast.
Zara, who lacks prior experience in dancing except for occasional TikTok videos alongside her boyfriend Sam, expresses her apprehension towards any dance routine that fails to intimidate her. However, she eagerly anticipates the opportunity to acquire skills in the rumba, renowned for its captivating hip movements and alluring narrative.
She said: ‘For someone like me that has never danced every single dance is going to put me out of my comfort zone in some way shape or form.
‘I am intimidated by all of them in completely different ways to be real with you. I am really excited to something like a rumba because I learned a lot of technique in the cha, cha and it’s kind of like a slowed down version of that…
‘It’s going to be scary learning something brand new every week and learning technique, but I am taking my life day by day, hour by hour and trying not to look too far ahead and focus on the here and now.’
