Zara McDermott’s ‘toxic’ relationship with ex that almost saw her walk away from fame

Love Island: Zara McDermott shows off Adam’s ‘Z’ tattoo Zara McDermott might never have signed up for Strictly Come Dancing at all, after a “toxic” relationship with an ex-partner almost saw her walk away from fame. The 26-year-old star then had a change of heart and returned to showbiz, but she recalled she’d momentarily lost all her “confidence” after a painful split from ex-beau Adam Collard. The pair met on the 2018 series of Love Island – the show which had been Zara’s launch pad to fame – and they dated for eight months after the show ended. Adam had seemingly been so devoted to her that he’d had the letter Z tattooed on his hand in her honour – but things ultimately turned sour. Addressing their split on Instagram at the time, Zara told almost two million followers: “At the start of the year I finally walked away from a toxic relationship that was more damaging than I knew.” Zara McDermott met her ex-boyfriend Adam Collard on Love Island back in 2019 Zara added that scrutiny from her followers intensified her struggles, explaining: “It stripped me of all my confidence going through this in the public eye.” “I almost gave up this whole life and I wanted to go back and work in Government, and I wanted things to go back to how they were before Love Island. However, I decided not to,” she exclaimed. “My best friend and I went away, we took months after that to explore new places, have so much fun, laugh until we couldn’t breathe, to get myself feeling good again!” Tattooed Adam recovered from the split in much the same way, embarking on the trip to the Maldives that he’d bought her as a Christmas gift. Zara McDermott and Adam Collard dated for eight months after falling for each other on Love Island SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info He posted a photo of himself on a luxurious-looking plane seat back in early 2019, and placed a pillow on the empty seat beside him, gesturing that he was riding solo. At the time of their split, Zara had taken to Instagram to say she was “heartbroken” they’d “parted ways”. “I love him very much and will always have a special place in my heart for him and our time spent together,” she wrote, before adding: “I have tried hard to be the best person I can possibly be and to make it work.” Later that year, Zara got back on the dating scene, and met handsome Made in Chelsea star Sam Thompson, now 31, with whom she is now head over heels in love. Trending Adam Collard left for the Maldives without Zara McDermott on the dream trip they’d planned to take