The shocking news of Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott’s split came this week when it was revealed that the entertainment power couple had ended their five-year relationship.
The end of their up-and-down union comes after Zara became involved in a cheating scandal early in their relationship, from which it seems they may never recover.
The former Love Island star, 28, cheated on him five years ago with a music executive while appearing on X Factor and their subsequent split and then reunion were documented on the upcoming series of Made In Chelsea.
The venture was with music boss Brahim Fouradi, who had previously worked for Simon Cowell as head of A&R for Syco.
They had been dating for 16 months when Sam discovered what happened between the former Love Island star and Brahim.
Zara was appearing on Celebrity
So here MailOnline takes a look at who Brahim Fouradi is and the cheating scandal that unfolded:
The shocking news of Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott’s split came this week when it was revealed that the entertainment power couple had ended their five-year relationship.
Who is Brahim Fouradi?
Brahim is well known in the music industry and due to his vast experience, over the years he has been involved in talent competitions such as The X Factor.
He has since left Syco and now lives and works in the Netherlands.
Before working behind the scenes, Brahim and his brother Mohamed first made music as the duo Fouradi from 2005 to 2012.
He then founded a management agency with his brother representing artists such as Bilal Wahib, Frenna, Josylvio, Kevin, Lijpe, Zoë Tauran and the successful producer and songwriter Project Money (Carlos Vrolijk).
Before working as an artist manager, Brahim held the position of A&R consultant at Sony Music and was music director at X Factor NL.
He then began working at Cowell’s Syco Entertainment, where he was appointed Syco’s International A&R Manager and participated in X Factor UK, Britain’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent.
Ultimately, Brahim was promoted to head of A&R at Syco Entertainment.
In addition to being a songwriter and artist manager, Brahim currently works as an A&R director within major record label Universal Music Group.
The former Love Island star, 28, cheated on him five years ago with music executive Brahim Fouradi (seen) while appearing on X Factor.
When did the matter occur?
Sam, 32, initially ended his relationship with Zara after she cheated on him in September 2019.
The subsequent Made In Chelsea series documented the aftermath of when they finally reconciled.
Sources close to the couple said this week that Sam’s family never forgave Zara after their affair, despite their attempts to welcome her back into the fold.
The Made in Chelsea star’s protective sister, Louise, 34, was the most vocal in her disapproval of Zara and asked her brother why he accepted her, but he agreed, for her sake, to give her a second chance.
Zara is pictured during one of the X Factor rehearsals in November 2019 when the affair took place.
Sam, 32, initially ended his relationship with Zara in the wake of her cheating scandal (seen on X Factor).
The subsequent Made In Chelsea series documented the fallout when they finally reconciled.
But the couple’s relationship didn’t last long, and they have now officially cut ties just over five years after their affair.
The news did not surprise sources close to the reality stars who believed they had done well to last so long after Zara’s infidelity.
A friend told MailOnline: ‘Zara and Sam’s relationship has never felt like it would last long.
“They never really recovered from Zara’s cheating, most couples would have struggled to last as long as they did afterwards.
‘Zara had a lot going on, especially with Louise, she really wasn’t happy when Sam accepted her.
“But she made it work and they had some good times together again, but it felt like it was never going to be really serious.”
“They were delaying the inevitable for several months as they had grown apart and their lives had become very different.”
Another friend described Zara and Sam as an “odd couple” and said he didn’t think the pair were such a good fit.
Did Sam and Zara stay together?
After the matter came to light, they broke up but eventually reunited.
Speaking to Jamie Laing about her infidelity while appearing on Made In Chelsea in October 2022, Zara said: “When it happened, I really thought Sam and I were going to break up, inevitably. I just thought we were hanging on by a little thread and were going to break up.’
Weeks earlier, Zara humiliatedly apologized once their affair came to light almost a year after her appearance on the show.
On Instagram Stories, she wrote: “A big mistake I made a year ago has recently come to light and I want to face it head on. I do not tolerate infidelity and I made a big mistake at a time in my life when I was enormously selfish and immature.
In November 2020, Sam got Zara back after her sincere apologies, and in January 2021, the newly reunited couple defied coronavirus rules by flying to the Maldives.
Sam previously explained why he took her back: “I believe in forgiveness.” I understand the context and I believe that in any area of life you cannot move forward unless you forgive.
He continued: ‘I think I have learned a lot from my mistake. I want to apologize to my Sam for everything I have put him through, for the pain, the shame, the anger and the hurt. All I want to do is fix this and I think the least you deserve is for me to be honest with myself and with all of you. I love you Sam. Forever x’.’
In November 2020, Sam got Zara back after his sincerest apologies and in January 2021, the newly reunited couple defied coronavirus rules by flying to the Maldives and then moved into Sam’s Chelsea home together.
Why did Sam get Zara back?
Sam previously explained why he took her back: “I believe in forgiveness.” I understand the context and I believe that in any area of life you cannot move forward unless you forgive.
‘Forgiveness allows you to heal. You can only heal when you forgive the other person and get over it.’
He added: “I would definitely say that no matter what happens, you should always try to forgive and you’ll feel better about yourself – it’s fucking easier said than done, but you have to work for it.”
‘The people I care about will know that we are all human. We are all human and you cannot grow, evolve and be a better person without making mistakes along the way.
“For that to be shown on television, it almost humanizes you and makes you more relatable.”
Zara addressed her infidelity in an Instagram post at the time, writing, “A big mistake I made a year ago has recently come to light and I want to face it head on.”
The couple appears in happier times.
On the work front, the couple has seen their respective careers grow since getting back together, which friends believe was another major factor why they stayed together for so long.
Sam was crowned King of the Jungle in 2023 after winning I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and Zara became the first Love Island star to land a spot on Strictly Come Dancing the same year.
He finished tenth, but his time on the show was overshadowed by his partner Graziano Di Prima, 30, who was booted from the series for verbally and physically abusing Zara after she complained about his behaviour.
Zara, who has also made several documentaries for the BBC, joined Sam in the audience for this year’s series, where they supported her close friend Pete Wicks, 37.
What were the signs that they had finally broken up for good?
Just weeks after they were spotted together in the Strictly audience, the couple finally ended their romance after spending the New Year apart.
Sam celebrated New Year’s Eve by partying with his former Made In Chelsea co-stars Reza Amiri-Garroussi, 36, and Josh Patterson, 34, at London’s Kensington Roof Gardens, grabbing drinks, while Zara spent the night at home with her cats.
They also had separate Christmases after Sam volunteered for a charity and Zara stayed with her close family in Upminster, Essex.
A source close to the couple told MailOnline: ‘Sam and Zara have ended their relationship. It has been an incredibly difficult decision for them to separate, they still care and love each other very much.
“But after a tough year of working hard on their romance, they have broken up and will focus on their individual careers until 2025.
“There has been no scandal or consequences between them, it is just the result of a difficult year, in which they both had to spend a lot of time focused on their own projects.”