Zara McDermott Strictly Come Dancing 2023: age, boyfriend Sam Thompson & what Love Island season was she on?

Anticipation is growing ahead of the latest season of popular BBC One dance show Strictly Come Dancing. The show is back after a landmark 20th season in 2022, with the lineup regarded as one of the best ever.

Recently, the start date for the show was confirmed with fans getting to see the show air for the first time in 2023 on Saturday, September 16. The start date comes just weeks after the class of 2023 was revealed.

One of the more famous names for this is Zara McDermott. A name more familiar with fans of reality TV, the 26-year-old shot to fame on popular ITV 2 show Love Island and also made appearances on Made in Chelsea.

She first appeared on our screens in 2018, when she starred in the fourth season of Love Island. She entered as a bombshell on day 15, and immediately set sights on Adam Collard, whom she coupled up with just five days later.

Her Love Island journey was short, as she was eliminated from the villa less than a week after meaning her journey in the villa lasted less than two weeks. But, Zara has managed to stay in the public eye ever since.

A year after Love Island, she embarked on a relationship with Made in Chelsea stalwart Sam Thompson, who now hosts the official Love Island podcast, the Morning After. He has also appeared on multiple other reality shows in the UK.

Thompson first appeared on MIC in 2013 during the show’s fifth series and is the younger brother of one of the originals, Louise Thompson. His career has slowly transitioned in recent years from on-screen to presenting off screen with podcasts and radio slots.

The duo also played out a now viral clip of their break up, after allegations that Zara had cheated on him during her time on X Factor: Celebrity. Their breakup was aired on MIC but they got back together three months later.