"I've never connected with a TV show more.'
If you know one thing about Sam Thompson, it's that he's obsessed with Love Island.
The former Made in Chelsea star is currently dating Zara McDermott, who appeared on the show in 2018, and hosts The Morning After podcast alongside Indiyah Polack. To say the show consumes his life is an understatement.
With the final of this year's winter series fast approaching, Sam took the time to chat with Her about his love for the show and everything he hopes happens on Monday night.
Saying that he only started watching the show in full back in 2021, Love Island has now taken over his life and it's something Sam is more than happy about.
"I've never connected with a TV, bear in mind I've been on a few, I've never connected with a TV show more. I think it's playful, it's young. I'm a bit of an old school reality person, it takes me away from day to day and I really love that," Sam said.
"The world is so tough, so complicated so it's nice, just get me back to a villa with people in their swimming trunks. Obviously, there's understandable complexities but sometimes you just want to switch off and be taken to a time where you just watch people dating and arguing and telling people they're in love for fifty grand."
As mentioned, Sam has been dating Zara for years but unlike others from Love Island, she doesn't tell her other half any juicy details from behind the scenes of the show as they watch.
"I want way more from her than she gives, she gives nothing. Not even because she doesn't want to but because she doesn't know," Sam joked.
"She was there for four, five, six days. She was gone after a week! So every time I'm sitting there going 'right, tell me about this' she's going 'I don't really know, I only did like one day. I need more than that, I still don't know the inner workings."
As he appears on Aftersun each Sunday and is currently in South Africa for the final, Sam says that's where he truly learns the behind the scenes gossip from the show.
But when it comes to Monday night's Love Island final – who does Sam think will win?
"I would say, probably, Will and Jessie but I hope it's Kai and Sanam," Sam said.
Sam is currently working as an ambassador for Oreo to celebrate the partnership with Xbox. While Love Island is one of his biggest passions, as I spoke to Sam about this campaign, it was immediately clear that OREOs were definitely a close second.
"Let me tell you a little something, I have done many things in my time in this industry but to work with two brands that I absolutely love is an absolute dream. Oreo and Xbox? I'm a huge gamer and I love Oreos. So is my Mrs, we're big cookie fans anyway, we have jars all around the gaff like in The Kardashians. We have an Oreo jar. When you're a fan of something, you almost feel unworthy. It's just a great idea."
Sam is leading a dunking revolution as he marks the iconic partnership between OREO and Xbox, see him take on the OREO Big Dunk challenge
here.
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