Zara McDermott has found love — and she’s singing it from the rooftops. Or at least from her Instagram feed. The women’s rights activist and documentary filmmaker shared the news with a post captioned simply with a red heart emoji. The photo was a selfie of her kissing none other than former One Direction member Louis Tomlinson. Talk about a hard launch.
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The pair had previously been spotted on a number of low-key outings. McDermott was seen supporting Tomlinson at his show in Zurich last month, and the pair were also seen enjoying this year’s Glastonbury Festival.
Zara McDermott was working as a Government Advisor when she entered the Love Island villa back in 2018. “I want to meet someone I can vibe and connect with. Someone who can keep me on my toes,” she told us at GLAMOUR at the time. She also revealed that she had had two “serious boyfriends” before joining the reality show.
During her stint in the villa, McDermott coupled up with Adam Collard. The pair left the villa together on Day 25 and split soon after.
She went on to date Made in Chelsea’s Sam Thompson, and she joined him in the cast the following year. The pair split at the end of 2024.
In addition to her appearances on Love Island, Made in Chelsea, and other reality shows like Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor, McDermott has done extensive work as a women’s rights activist. She has worked with the BBC to produce a number of documentaries looking into violence and women against girls (VAWG), including Revenge Porn and Uncovering Rape Culture. In 2025, she was named an ambassador at Refuge.
As for Tomlinson, he also found fame on reality TV after becoming a member of One Direction on The X Factor in 2010. He released his first solo album, Walls, in 2020.
The singer dated model Eleanor Calder from 2011 to 2022. He later dated Briana Jungwirth, with whom he shares son Freddie, and Danielle Campbell.