‘I couldn't have done it without Sam'

Zara McDermott on growing up, owning her mistakes and stepping away from reality TV

- RIANNE ISON

From Love Island to Made In Chelsea, we’ve watched Zara McDermott’s private life and relationships play out on our screens.

But as well as the highs, there have been lows, as viewers saw when the 24-year-old and her boyfriend Sam Thompson temporarily split after she admitted to cheating on him.

However, when we catch up with the reality star, she’s keen to set the record straight and tells us they’re stronger than ever since reconciling last November.

“We’re so strong and solid. A lot of people won’t be able to believe that and will think I’m just saying it, but I’m the one who has to live it,” Zara tells new. “We wouldn’t be together if we didn’t make each other so happy.”

Viewers will get to see much more of this grown-up side of Zara thanks to her BBC Three documentary, Zara McDermott: Revenge Porn. The one-off programme explores Zara’s experiences after she was a victim of revenge porn at school aged 14, and again at 21, after she entered the Love Island villa.

As she meets with other women who have found themselves in similar situations, Zara opens up on how she felt when the explicit images were leaked and how it’s time to tackle the problem once and for all.

Here, Zara talks to us about how her past has shaped her, how she and Sam, 27, have overcome their issues, and why she’s decided to quit Made In Chelsea.

Hi Zara. Why did you want to make this documentary?