LUCKY in love Zara McDermott has scored herself a pop prince after she was snapped on a date.
And we can reveal the secret reason she’s growing close to new man Louis Tomlinson, 33.
The Love Island beauty, who split from ex-boyfriend Sam Thompson over Christmas, was pictured with Louis at a hotel in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, just days after One Direction fans began speculating they were an item.
Though it’s still very early days, onlookers said they looked a happy couple as they giggled while drinking cocktails and eating fish and chips.
The pair stayed at the £315-a-night hotel before travelling to London the next day.
The stunning duo have all the attributes to become the new showbiz power couple, thanks to his huge global One Direction fanbase and her ties to the popular Love Island and reality TV market.
And a romance with Louis finally gives Zara, 28 – who has always dreamt of her own chart-topping music career – a firm footing in the music scene.
Not only that, but some say Zara has seriously upgraded – from love with an E4 reality favourite to a multi-millionaire global superstar.
Finding romance with Louis follows Zara’s pattern of “dating up” – a clever move of falling for ever more successful, high-profile men.
A source said: “Zara’s undoubtedly hot property in her own right and one of Love Island’s most successful breakout stars.
“She’s always done well to reinvent herself over the years and has been prepared to make the necessary changes to her career and personal life to take things to the next level.
“But while her modelling and TV work have progressed, her true passion – music – has taken a bit of a back seat.
“A relationship with Louis would allow her to submerge herself into music and let her focus on her passion that she has neglected in recent years.”
The former civil servant regularly showcases her impressive voice on social media, which is no surprise to those who tuned into Celebrity X Factor in 2019 and watched Zara perform as part of No Love Lost.
But she hasn’t been able to replicate the musical success of bandmates Wes Nelson and Samira Mighty, who are now fully focused on careers in the music business.
Wes is a bona fide solo star with a number three hit and a collaboration with Craig David, while Samira has had her music played by Radio 1 and reached the top five of the UK club chart.
Since her X Factor stint, Zara has turned her hand to making serious documentaries such as Uncovering Rape Culture and Inside Ibiza, the latter of which took a look at the dark side of the party island.
Though Louis previously stated that he wasn’t interested in anything to do with Love Island, he seems to have changed his mind after his siblings endorsed Zara.
Fans recently noticed how heartthrob Louis began following Zara – who was already Instagram friends with his twin sisters Daisy and Phoebe, 20, as well as his older sister Lottie who is a makeup artist to the stars.
There’s even been speculation Zara’s next TV project might involve the siblings and that this is how the pair met.
But regardless of their professional connection, the Tomlinson girls paved the way for Zara and Louis to begin dating by giving her a glowing review.
An insider said: “Louis is so famous that meeting a girl authentically on a dating app or down the local pub is practically impossible.
“He’s very close to his sisters and knows they have his best interests at heart.
“The fact they have actively given Zara their blessing says a lot about her character.
“It’s been a very difficult past few months following the death of Liam [Payne].
“He realises life is too short and Louis is determined to make 2025 a positive year for himself and live life to the full – and Zara could play a major part in that.”
Despite being worlds apart, it appears opposites do attract as Zara and Louis’ backgrounds couldn’t be more different.
Working class Doncaster lad Louis’ journey to superstardom began in 2010 when he applied to the X Factor as a solo artist.
During the process, show mogul Simon Cowell pieced together rejected hopefuls Louis, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik to create One Direction.
Though they didn’t win the series, they were its breakout stars and went on to become the biggest boyband in the world.
Just five years later, the shock departure of Zayn marked the beginning of the end of the group.
At the same time, Zara was embarking on a promising career in the civil service as Operational Officer and Correspondence Drafter for the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
Two years on, as Louis released a top 10 solo track with Bebe Rexha, Zara became a Policy Advisor for the Department for Education, before going on to find her first taste of fame in the Love Island villa the following year.
During her time in Majorca, Zara had a sizzling romance with tall, dark and handsome Adam Collard, widely considered the ultimate Love Island hunk.
The relationship was short-lived in the real world though, with Adam insisting it had naturally run its course while Zara said she would always hold a special place in her heart for him.
It didn’t take long for either to move on and just months later Zara started a relationship with Made In Chelsea’s Sam Thompson, with the pair posing for loved-up selfies on social media.
However, the romance was dealt a huge blow early on after it emerged Zara had cheated on Sam with top music executive Brahim Fouradi – an associate of Simon Cowell’s – while competing on X Factor.
Formerly an International A&R Manager for Cowell’s label Syco, Zara’s ill-judged tryst with Fouradi hinted at her desire to fall for the bright lights and trappings of the music biz.
Here we delve into Louis' love life since his rise to fame in One Direction.
Hannah Walker – Louis’ first girlfriend, who he dated in 2010. They split in 2011 as his band One Direction took off and the long distance romance was too much for them.
Eleanor Calder – The pair dated on and off from 2011 to 2022. They were first photographed kissing at the London Olympic Games in 2012.
Briana Jungwirth – Louis dated American Briana in 2015 and they have a son named Freddie, who was born in 2016.
Sofie Nyvang – Louis was rumoured to be in a relationship with Danish model Sofie in February 2023. They split two months later in April 2023.
