Zara McDermott facts including age, Love Island season and more
19 March 2025, 14:11
Zara McDermott is a former Love Islander, Made in Chelsea star and documentary maker, but what else is she known for?
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Zara McDermott, who recently hit the headlines for being linked to One Direction star Louis Tomlinson, became a household name after starring on Love Island season four in 2018, going on to take part in a number of TV shows before finally finding her calling as a documentary host and filmmaker.
Love Island wasn’t her only stint on TV too, going on to take part in Strictly Come Dancing, Celebrity X Factor and even Made in Chelsea while dating Sam Thompson.
But who is Zara, how old is she, what year was she on Love Island, and what else is she known for? Here’s everything you need to know.
Who is Zara McDermott?
Zara is 28 years old; her birthday is 14th December 1996 and she was born and raised in Essex.
After leaving her job as a government policy advisor to go on Love Island, Zara got involved in even more TV shows like The X Factor: Celebrity in October 2019, where she was part of group No Love Lost alongside Eyal Booker, Samira Mighty and Wes Nelson.
She then competed on Strictly in 2023 with professional partner Graziano Di Prima, being eliminated in week six.
These days, Zara’s carving out a career as a journalist, after becoming a victim of Revenge Porn led her to investigate the problem and whether perpetrators can expect to see consequences for their actions.
Does Zara McDermott have a new boyfriend?
In the wake of her split from Sam Thompson, Zara is said to be dating One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson after they were pictured grabbing dinner together in March 2025.
It's not known how the couple first met, but fans online have theorised Zara knew or worked with Louis' sisters first before being introduced to the singer.
When was Zara McDermott on Made in Chelsea?
Zara appeared on Made in Chelsea between 2019 and 2020 alongside now-ex boyfriend Sam Thompson. A moment between the couple went viral off the back of the show after a conversation where she cries: “You can!” To Sam when he says he’s not sure if he can forgive her for being unfaithful.
She quit the series soon after, saying she wanted to take a break from reality TV, and since then she’s focused on making more documentaries.
What year did Zara McDermott go on Love Island?
Zara was a contestant on Love Island season four in 2018, where she arrived as a bombshell and turned Adam Collard’s head. The two dated for a short time after leaving the villa, but split a few months later.
How tall is Zara McDermott?
Zara is 5ft 5in.
Why did Zara McDermott and Sam Thompson split?
Zara and Sam split for good at the end of 2024, although the reason isn’t yet known. They were last seen together celebrating Zara’s birthday in December, however, by Christmas they’d gone their separate ways, with her spending the festive period with her family while Sam volunteered for a charity.
Zara and Sam began dating in 2019 and were on and off until 2024, breaking up in 2020 when he found out she’d cheated on him but getting back together just months later.
What is Zara McDermott’s Instagram?
Zara’s Instagram handle is @zara_mcdermott, where she has over two million followers.
Zara McDermott net worth
Zara’s 2025 net worth isn’t publicised but in 2023 after her Strictly stint it was reported she had a wealth of £309,913, which has no doubt soared since making more documentaries for the BBC, building her social media following, and launching her own clothing range Rise which is available at Tesco stores’ F&F clothing and New Look.
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