Sam Thompson’s new romance with model Talitha Balinska is heating up after the TV star took the next step in their relationship.
The podcaster, 33, and Talitha, 25, are said to be ‘inseparable’ after being set up on a date by Sam’s friend and former Made In Chelsea co-star Reza Amiri-Garroussi.
They first met in 2023 during a photoshoot for Sam and Reza’s sunglasses brand, Dinelli, when Talitha modelled for a campaign, though at the time, Sam was still in a relationship with Zara McDermott.
However, the couple recently reconnected when Talitha was invited as a surprise guest to Sam’s sold-out Staying Relevant live show at London’s O2 Arena and, as one source told the Daily Mail, ‘the rest is history.’
Sam has already introduced Talitha to his sister Louise, her fiancé Ryan, and their son Leo, signalling the seriousness of their blossoming romance.
And the former King of the Jungle will no doubt be keen to impress Talitha’s own star-studded family.
A source revealed: ‘Sam and Talitha are absolutely smitten with each other. When they first met in 2023, they didn’t speak, but friends could tell they would hit it off.
‘Reza knew exactly how to be a supportive friend as Sam slowly moved on, and inviting Talitha to his O2 show was definitely the right call.
‘Since reconnecting after the podcast show, the rest is history and for Sam’s friends, it’s lovely to see him finally in a good place after a tough six months following his split from Zara.
‘As someone so close to his family, it means a lot to Sam to introduce a girlfriend and Talitha has already met Louise, Ryan and Leo, marking a big step for them both.
‘Talitha is not only strikingly beautiful, but she also comes from a fascinating family, her half-sister is a Hollywood actress, while her father, Count Balinski-Jundzill, is married to former model Sophie Anderton. She’s definitely worthy of his Chelsea status.’
Sam’s new girlfriend, Talitha, was born to Polish aristocrat Kaz Balinski, who works in the oil industry, and his ex-wife Vanessa Balinska.
She is one of four siblings, including actress Ella, who once co-starred with Kirsten Dunst in 2019’s Charlie’s Angels.
Kaz was previously married to TV chef Lorraine Pascale until their split in 2000, and in 2023 he wed Sophie, known for her appearances on Love Island, I’m A Celeb and Celebrity Big Brother.
Following his split from Zara at the end of last year, Sam dated former Love Island contestant Samie Elishi, but the romance only lasted a few months.
Meanwhile, Zara has moved on with One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson, who last week admitted during a podcast interview that he is ‘so in love’ with her.
The pair were first spotted on a date in March and have since been pictured passionately kissing, as Zara travels the world supporting Louis and his music career.
Sam has tried to make light of Zara dating Louis, even playing One Direction’s Steal My Girl at his recent O2 show, which drew a 17,000-strong audience.
Zara had once been close to Sam’s sister Louise, who lives next door to him, but the pair are understood to no longer speak following the breakup.
Sam and Zara’s separation came a year after his I’m A Celeb win, which brought increased demand on his work schedule.
As well as co-hosting the Staying Relevant podcast with best friend Pete Wicks, Sam regularly appears on This Morning, runs several businesses, and collaborates with brands across social media.
In a podcast interview released last week, Sam said winning the ITV jungle show was both a blessing and a curse, as he struggled to balance his work commitments with his personal life.
He said: ‘I got burnout last year, no one knows that actually.
‘I won the jungle the year before that, but it was like a blessing and a curse, because it was so great, I always wanted to do the show, always wanted to meet Ant & Dec, I made amazing mates from it, came home, and you know what it’s like.
‘I’ve always wanted to work on This Morning, and they called up, do you want to come and work, and I was like ‘f*** yeah’, and then I got a new radio show, ‘f*** yeah’, a podcast three times a week, a live tour and then all the brand stuff because I love doing digital marketing on my Instagram, I adore it and have my own marketing agency, then I have the two businesses.
‘So, all of this stuff and then I did Unpacked which was the Australian show, I just wanted to gobble it all up.
‘Anyone listening to this will think f*** off and I get it… it’s all stuff we dream of doing but it doesn’t stop the energy from being zapped. I would sit there fighting and telling myself to stop being a little bitch.
‘I said yes to absolutely everything but by the end of the year I was in a really tough spot, like a really bad spot. Burnout is real. I took a bit of a step back this year.’
