LOUISE Thompson has addressed the future of her friendship with Zara McDermott after her split from Sam.
Ex Made In Chelsea star Louise, 34, known for her close bond with her brother, 32, broke her silence just days after news of their shock separation emerged.
The trio have long been neighbors, living in luxurious homes next door to one another in London.
However, their dynamic took a hit this week following reports that Sam and Zara, who had been dating since 2019, have decided to part ways.
Neither Sam nor Zara have publicly addressed their split, though they spent both Christmas and New Year’s Eve apart.
Louise has also refrained from commenting directly on the matter.
Instead, she took to Instagram to share insights about her own challenging year, calling it “one of the best and worst years” of her life.
Her post featured a “bury and burn ritual” in her garden, a gesture seemingly aimed at symbolising closure.
Amid the breakup news, fans speculated about how Louise might navigate her friendship with Zara.
One follower commented, “Hope you don’t just drop Zara.”
Louise appeared to subtly address this concern by liking the comment, signalling that she plans to maintain her bond with Zara despite the split.
Another fan noted the significance of her action, stating: “Liking this comment has basically confirmed the split for us all!”
Since news of their split broke, a source close to the couple told MailOnline: “Sam and Zara have ended their relationship.
“It’s been an incredibly difficult decision for them to part ways; they still care and have a lot of love for each other.
“But after a tough year of working hard at their romance, they have split and will be focusing on their individual careers going forward into 2025.
“There has been no scandal or fallout between them, it’s just the result of a difficult year, where they both had to spend a lot of time focused on their own projects.”
Fan speculation has been rife as to why the pair parted ways, with several theories coming to light.
Sam had always spoken about how he wanted to marry Zara.
Last year he said: We speak about marriage a lot, but there’s no pressure to put a ring on it.”
And in 2021 Zara was asked during an Instagram Q&A if she wanted to get married.
To which he replied: “Absolutely! I know it’s a very individual thing but I personally would love to.”
On Reddit, one fan has now speculated: “A shame but not surprising. I always found it odd how much they talked about wanting to get married one day but never got engaged.
“I always sensed Sam wasn’t sure.”
In the earlier days of their relationship, Zara confessed to having a fling with music exec Brahim Fourad while taking part in The X Factor: Celebrity in 2019.
And a source has since said: “Zara and Sam’s relationship just never had felt like it was heading for the long haul.
“They never really recovered from Zara’s cheating, most couples would have struggled lasting for as long as they did afterwards.”
