Sam Thompson narrowly avoided an awkward run-in with his ex Zara McDermott at the Pride Of Britain Awards on Monday night.The reality star, 34, arrived on the red carpet with his best pal Pete Wicks and later left London’s Grosvenor Hotel with his girlfriend Talitha Balinska.He came close to crossing paths with his ex Zara who was posing on the red carpet in a thigh-high split gown.Zara, 29, was also seen mingling with her boyfriend Louis Tomlinson’s sisters Lottie and Daisy.The former Love Island star began dating the One Direction singer, 34, at the start of 2025 following her split from the Made In Chelsea icon.Meanwhile, Sam has been in a happy relationship with influencer Talitha, 25, since December last year. Sam Thompson narrowly avoided an awkward run-in with his ex Zara McDermott as he departed the Pride Of Britain Awards with his girlfriend Talitha Balinska on Monday night He came close to crossing paths with his ex Zara who was posing on the red carpet in a thigh-high split gownHe revealed in February that he told Talitha he’s ‘in love’ with her while they were sat on the sofa together, telling his friend Pete he’d ‘known for a bit’. It comes after Zara revealed she and Louis have been enjoying living together and split their time between the UK and the US, where Louis’ son Freddie is based. Zara told Cosmopolitan UK: ‘We’ve lived together for a while now, honestly, it’s just been amazing. I genuinely can’t even say one [irritating habit]. He’s like my Prince Charming. He’s like my fairy tale.’He is genuinely the most amazing person I’ve ever met in my life, he’s an inspiration to me in so many ways. He is the most empathetic, considerate, kind person. He will always think about every single other person before himself, and I think that is such a rare quality to find in someone.’It was reported in August last year that Zara had moved into multimillionaire Louis’ north London mansion, having moved back into her parents’ house after leaving the Fulham home she shared with Sam. Zara went on to say she values keeping her romance with Louis private, with the public not knowing how they met or ‘anything about our relationship’. She added: ‘We’re obviously not a secret, but we’re not shouting from the rooftops about it because that’s actually a beautiful thing to have just for you.’ Zara said their evenings together consist of watching television with Louis liking a perfectly brewed Yorkshire tea. Sam has been in a happy relationship with influencer Talitha, 25, since December last year The reality star, 34, arrived on the red carpet with his best pal Pete Wicks and later left the ceremony with his girlfriend Talitha Zara, 29, was also seen mingling with her boyfriend Louis Tomlinson’s sisters Lottie and Daisy The former Love Island star began dating the One Direction singer, 34, at the start of 2025 following her split from the Made In Chelsea icon The TV star acknowledged Louis’ huge fanbase, after the singer rose to fame as one fifth of One Direction on The X Factor. She said: ‘I knew that Lou was going to have a huge fan base, and his fan base are so protective and loving and supportive of him in every way. I understand their protectiveness. It’s like a fierce loyalty.’ Zara did say, however, it is not without its challenges. Zara and Louis went Instagram-official in June last year, five months after they began dating, as they enjoyed the weekend at Glastonbury with their pals.The couple were spotted packing on the PDA in a TikTok video at the festival as Louis wrapped his arms around Zara, who flopped her head back onto his shoulder while enjoying the music.