SAM Thompson has opened up on the “worst year of his life” and revealed the real reason he stepped away from his role presenting the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! spin-off show.
The Staying Relevant podcast host won the ITV show back in 2023 and saw his career catapult off the back of the victory – but now admits that led to an intense burn-out.
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Sam Thompson has revealed the real reason he stepped down from jobs such as the I’m A Celeb spin-off in an emotional new admissionCredit: YouTube/ Great Company with Jamie Laing
The star bagged his ‘dream job’ in 2024 as the show’s spin-off host, alongside Kemi Rodgers and Joel DommettCredit: Rex
However, Sam says that no matter how much he loved his work, he ended up with severe burnoutCredit: YouTube/ Great Company with Jamie Laing
Following his jungle win, Sam began hosting the show’s unpacked spin-off with Joel Dommett and Kemi Rodgers in 2024.
At the same time, he was hosting his podcast with Pete Wicks, appearing on the Love Island: Aftersun panel, hosting his Hits Radio show and working with various brands on collaborations.
On top of his heavy workload, Sam then split from his long-term girlfriend Zara McDermott over the 2024 festive period.
The culmination of all these things led to severe burnout and a period of depression for former Made In Chelsea star Sam.
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“It sounds really s**tty because I love what I do. But anyone can get burnout,” he told pal Jamie Laing while appearing on his Great Company podcast.
Sam continued: “You can do the thing you love most in the world and still get burnout. And, last year I got really, really bad burnout.
“You’re in the jungle, you take every opportunity thrown at you so I was just like, ‘I’ll take that, and that and that and that’.
“I thought I was superman, I was like, ‘You can’t take me down’.
“Anyone can get taken down if you take too much on mentally and physically.
“Doesn’t matter how much fun you think you’re having, you can’t do it all.”
As Jamie asked whether he felt depressed, Sam said: “Oh mate, it was terrible.
“I felt ill all the time, but I wasn’t actually ill. It was weird, I felt really tired.”
He added: “I felt really, really down. And then, I didn’t spend any time with my family because I felt like, if I ever got anytime on my own I would just need to sit in stasis. Recharge the batteries.”
He continued to explain that this led to guilt for not always appearing on his top form when meeting fans.
In a bid to scale back and focus on himself mentally, Sam did not return to host the I’m A Celeb spin-off in 2025, but did make a short guest appearance.
He also stepped away from the Love Island Morning After podcast he previously co-hosted.
The busy time led to Sam describing 2025 as the “worst year of my life”, something he now takes back.
Sam was also hosting his podcast, Staying Relevant, alongside pal Pete Wicks, at the timeCredit: Getty
While he had a spot on the Love Island podcast and spin-off show as a panelistCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Amid his busy work schedule came a shock split from girlfriend Zara McDermottCredit: Getty
Looking back now, he actually couldn’t be more thankful for the period which made him re-assess everything.
“I’ve changed as a person, I’ve grown massively which I massively needed. I know myself, this is who I’m going to be for, like, the foreseeable,” said Sam.
The TV star continued that he now spends “so much more time” with his sister Louise and nephew Leo, something he wasn’t able to do when work and his personal life were so manic.
Something which may also contribute to 2025 “turning into the best year” for Sam is his relationship with new girlfriend Talitha Balinska.
The pair went public with their romance last October and have since gone from strength to strength, admitting earlier this month that they are very much in love.
Sam says he was feeling depressed and ‘really ill’ constantly during the tough time
Since scaling back his workload, Sam is able to spend more time with friends and family, including nephew Leo
He has since begun a new relationship with model Talitha BalinskaCredit: Instagram
