26 March 2024 , 08:09
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Sam Thompson has set the record straight on rumours he's engaged to long-term girlfriend Zara McDermott.
The I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! 2023 champion admits "Zara got really annoyed at me" as he opens up on their recent holiday abroad that prompted speculation he had finally got down on one knee and asked the Strictly Come Dancing star to be his wife.
Zara and Sam's fans were convinced an engagement announcement was imminent earlier this month, as the reigning King of the Jungle and the former Love Island star enjoyed a sun-soaked break Dubai. The couple, who began dating back in 2019, sent their followers wild as posed for a loved-up snap on a sandy beach.
"What a trip," Sam captioned the cute picture as he shared it with his Instagram followers. "I was looking for an engagement ring," one quickly commented underneath the snap. "I was expecting a ring in this picture," another added, as someone else hoped to see a sparkler on Zara's hand: "Thought there may be a ring on that finger this time."
Speaking in a new interview alongside his BFF and podcast co-host Pete Wicks, Sam cleared up the rumours and revealed that while "marriage is on the cards at some point" for himself and Zara, the pair are not engaged just yet. "Zara just really wanted to get away so it wasn't like one of those really special on-one-knee places," Sam explains when quizzed about the speculation.
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He goes on to admit: "I probably wouldn't do it in Dubai anyway to be fair. But it was an amazing trip. I don't know if Zara can say the same as I got insomnia for the first three nights and Zara got really annoyed at me. One day I shall be getting down on one knee to propose. Marriage is on the cards at some point, yes."
Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott are not engaged just yet (Instagram)
But BFF Pete Wicks will be involved in both the stag and hen party when the time comes (@p_wicks01)OK! magazine then asked Pete how he would feel if his best friend became an engaged man, with the Celebs Go Dating star admitting: "I couldn't give a f**k. Nah, it would be lovely if they got married." Sam then tells Pete: "I would have to ask your permission." Imagining a world where Sam is engaged, Pete says: "I would be Sam's bit on the side. Like his weekend lover. The only thing that would make me excited about their wedding is the stag do. And because I am really good friends with Zara, I would get to go on the hen do as well!"
As engagement speculation went wild underneath Sam's holiday snap earlier this month, but some fans were quick to jump in and shut down the rumours. One fan wrote: "Jesus, all the comments about a ring. Why do they need to get engaged? They are happy as they are. People need to relax!" Someone else said: "Can't believe in this day and age people are still on about a ring?! I thought time had moved on."
The couple were also met with support over a potential engagement last week when Sam shared a photo of them on International Women's Day. Earlier this year though, addressing the prospect of a proposal, he stated: "I'm so happy being with the person I know I'm going to spend the rest of my life with, I don't see any sort of rush at all."