Sam Thompson admits he’s had a ‘glow up’ after growing close to Too Hot To Handle star and split from Zara McDermott

SAM Thompson has admitted he’s undergone a major ‘glow up' following his split from Zara McDermott and his growing bond with a Too Hot To Handle star.

star Sam, 32, opened up about his transformation on the Staying Relevant podcast, which he co-hosts with best mate , 37.

As the duo reunited for the latest episode, Pete couldn’t help but point out the shift in Sam’s energy and appearance.

He said: “I’ve got to say, since Paul [C Brunson] was on, you’ve really come into your own.

“It’s had a dramatic impact on you as a person.”;;

Sam agreed, describing himself as being in a much better place.

He said excitedly: “This is it, baby! We’re on lift-off! The training wheels are coming off. The stabilizers are retracting. It’s like a plane taking off.”;;

Pete quipped, “I don’t know why all of your analogies are plane-based.”;;

Laughing, Sam explained, “Because when Paul was in, I said my life was like a plane with no pilot. But now I’m taking off again on a plane where the pilot is me.”;;

Pete also noticed a clear difference in Sam’s confidence.

“You’re glowing up. The golf is in full swing at the minute – excuse the pun. We’ll ignore the fact that you’re dressed like a f***ing tree today and blending into the plant, but you do look great.”;;

Acknowledging his best mate’s compliment, Sam admitted he was feeling “very happy”;; lately.

Sam is dating beauty Lucy Syed, 28, as , 28, with .

Swimwear model Lucy was runner-up on the show last series and reportedly had an ‘instant connection’ with Sam, before they were spotted on a date.

A friend told MailOnline: “Sam and Lucy were sharing direct messages over Instagram before they decided to meet up at a pub and then continue their night at The Rex Rooms.

“They looked really close in the club, chatting and cuddling up together.

“But their closeness continued after they spent the night partying together and the pair's connection has certainly put a smile back on Sam's face.

“Sam is enjoying being single again and dipping his toe back into the dating pool.”;;

Like Zara, Lucy is an aspiring singer and often shares clips of herself singing on TikTok.

sees hot singletons from around the world come together in a tropical paradise.

The self proclaimed commitment-phobes who love a casual hook-up, then have to give up all hanky-panky for the entire retreat if they want to win the $100K (£79K) grand prize.

Lucy stuck to all the rules during her time in Turks and Caicos – and failed to find love.

At the start of the year Lucy revealed she was still single as she shared an upsetting clip of herself crying.

She told fans: “Well, at least we know manifesting works, I hate that it's called manifesting, like, ‘man'... it's like men are infesting my life and annoying and upsetting me. It's a man infestation… I'm ready for the glow up now please.”

Sam and Zara , .

A source close to the couple told MailOnline at the time: “Sam and Zara have ended their relationship. It's been an incredibly difficult decision for them to part ways, they still care and have a lot of love for each other.

“But after a tough year of working hard at their romance, they have split and will be focusing on their individual careers going forward into 2025.

“There has been no scandal or fallout between them, it's just the result of a difficult year, where they both had to spend a lot of time focused on their own projects.”

Zara had been single since December, but was recently linked to a new hunk.

One Direction star , 33, whisked model Zara to a hotel in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, earlier this month, where a fellow diner snapped them enjoying a romantic meal.

A source added: “Louis whisked Zara away for a break in Suffolk and he absolutely charmed her.

“It’s clear he thinks she’s drop-dead gorgeous too.

“Louis is a proper gentleman so this trip was something he planned and put on for Zara.

“He was really thoughtful and wanted to make it special. They share the same values and are both incredibly close with their families.

“Louis is very protective over his sisters and Zara is the same with her younger brother Brad.

“For now they’re taking things slowly and enjoying each other’s company to see where it takes them.”;;

contacted Sam's rep for comment.