Zara McDermott’s past cheating scandal resurfaces amid Louis Tomlinson rumours

Fans shifted attention to McDermott's public admission of being unfaithful to her former partner Sam Thompson

Zara McDermott’s past admission of cheating has resurfaced online amid growing speculation surrounding her reported relationship with former One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson.

According to viral social media posts and reports circulating online, photos of McDermott alongside Joey Essex prompted renewed discussion among fans about her relationship with Tomlinson.

🎥| Louis’ girlfriend, Zara McDermott, and platonic coworker Joey Essex were seen Saturday while filming for Cooking With the Stars!

Via TheLaughingDonkeyUK pic.twitter.com/cEnElWxXdy

— 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐬 ♑︎ 𝐒𝐮𝐞, 𝐎𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲. (@ishipitharder) May 18, 2026

The images, which spread across TikTok and X, appeared to show the pair sharing a close moment connected to an upcoming television project, with one photograph showing Essex seemingly kissing McDermott on the forehead.

Neither McDermott, Essex nor Tomlinson has publicly commented on the speculation. However, the online debate quickly shifted towards McDermott’s previous cheating scandal involving former partner Sam Thompson.

Fans widely shared clips and screenshots from 2020, when McDermott publicly admitted to being unfaithful during her relationship with Thompson after initially denying allegations linked to music executive Brahim Fouradi.

The incident later became a major storyline on Made In Chelsea, where McDermott apologised publicly and described her actions as “a huge mistake”.

Some social media users referenced the controversy while discussing the latest rumours. One viral post read, “once a cheater, always a cheater.”

McDermott first rose to fame on Love Island in 2018 before building a television and documentary career.

She and Tomlinson were first linked in 2025 and have largely kept their reported relationship private, despite increasing public attention surrounding the pair in recent months.