Sam Thompson Confirms Romance With Talitha Balinska

Sam Thompson has confirmed he's dating model Talitha Balinska and has revealed why he hasn't asked her to be his girlfriend yet.

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 Thompson 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. 

 

Now, speaking to best pal Pete Wicks on their Staying Relevant podcast, Sam Thompson confirmed that their romance is becoming more serious, but they aren't official just yet.

 

Pete asked: 'What stage are you in currently?', before listing the stages, which included love bombing, then being 'too tight' to go out.

He added: 'So look, you are dating, I think it is clear now. Are we just admitting that you are currently dating?

Sam Thompson couldn't wipe the smile from his face as he confirmed, before Pete asked: 'So how are you going to ask her to be your girlfriend? Will you do it like Love Island?'

Sam Thompson responded: 'No mate, there's not been any chat about that. There's no pressure, and that is the beauty of it. There's no pressure, there's no time frame. 

'The worst part about this is, if she sees this, I could get canned next week'

Referring to Sam's split from Zara, Pete said: 'Oh, we can't go through another break-up, not this year. At least wait till next year, darling. So, where are we at with it?'

Sam Thompson said: 'Mate, I don't know, everything is just super relaxed, you know what it is like with dating. We are just enjoying it. Realistically, if I were to ever ask anyone out, I wouldn't even know how to do it. I would panic. I haven't asked someone out in years.' 

Elsewhere during the episode, Pete jokingly hit out at Sam over a double date snub that made him feel 'sad, lonely and depressed'.

Pete asked when he will get to meet Talitha, without naming her, as he said: 'I am on the edge of my seat. I'm waiting for the call-up. When will that be?'

Sam replied: 'I just don't know if I can do it. You wouldn't even want to meet people I'm dating. Would you want to meet people I'm dating?'

Pete said: 'No. Sam did invite me on a double date at the weekend. It was him and his friend and peep and his respective friend's peep and just me, so I declined. 

'It was sort of an invite that was thrown out there because he said he was gonna see me and then made it a double date. So, then I said, "Am I still seeing you later?"'

'Now, what that says to me is, "Come if you want, but it will be weird, and we don't want you there. We don't want you there, alright, because we're going to be lovey-dovey feeding each other at the table and all the rest of it, and it might be weird for you to sit there... I know you're sad, lonely, and depressed so it might be too much for you."'

As he spoke, Sam could be overheard laughing and saying Pete was 'wrong' and that his claims were 'not true'.

Sam and Talitha 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 Thompson, her fiancé Ryan and their son Leo, signalling the seriousness of their blossoming romance.

Made In Chelsea star Louise, 35, gave her followers a glimpse into their fabulous weekend as the family dived into the Halloween spirit.

In the snap, Louise and her son Leo, four, joined a beaming Sam next to the model while they savoured a delicious marshmallow roasting.

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 girl 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 model Sophie Anderton. She's definitely worthy of his Chelsea status.'

Sam's new love interest, 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.