Sam Thompson just bought a stunning Cartier ring, but not for Zara McDermott

Sam Thompson has been very busy since winning the most recent series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here, including buying an expensive Cartier ring for someone very special.

But this shiny piece of jewellery wasn't for his partner of four years, Zara McDermott. It was actually for his best friend, Pete Wicks.

TOWIE star Wicks has been close friends with Thompson for years and was there to greet him when he left the Australian jungle with the crown.

"He’s just done so much for me," Thompson told The Sun. "Coming out for two weeks, being there for me, always being on the phone to my mum and Zara… He was holding the fort for the whole family and support network."

Asked whether he might be in the market for another ring soon, Thompson explained that he doesn't have any immediate plans to propose to McDermott.

“I’m so happy being with the person I know I’m going to spend the rest of my life with," said Thompson.

"I don’t see any sort of rush at all. We speak about marriage a lot, but there’s no pressure to put a ring on it.”

Watch: Sam Thompson reveals Zara's reaction to I'm a Celeb win

McDermott rose to fame on Love Island, but has since become a documentary presenter. In 2023, she became the first Love Island contestant to appear on Strictly Come Dancing, paired with Graziano Di Prima.

In the early days of their relationship, McDermott joined Thompson in the cast of reality series Made in Chelsea. Thompson had been a part of the show since 2013.

Their relationship has not always been smooth and the couple briefly broke up in 2020, as shown in a Made in Chelsea scene that has since become an infamous internet meme.

Now, though, the couple are going strong. Thompson and Wicks supported McDermott from the audience during Strictly Come Dancing and he said McDermott was gutted that Strictly commitments meant she missed his I'm a Celeb finale.

He has also revealed that the couple's departure from Made in Chelsea has helped to make things more secure in their personal life.

Thompson said: "We’re not on a TV show now where people are digging around and trying to figure things out that aren’t there. We’re in a different stage of our lives. The older you get, the more normal your relationship becomes."

Since leaving the jungle, Thompson is now back on his Hits Radio show and planning a live tour for his podcast with Wicks, Staying Relevant.

Read more:

• I'm A Celeb's winner Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott could be ‘next Richard and Judy’

• Sam Thompson's sweet reason for not rushing Zara McDermott to have baby

• Zara McDermott diagnosed with Raynaud's syndrome after flushed face worries