Exclusive: Sam Thompson reveals how Pete Wicks and his family comfort him amid shock split

There’s no denying that Sam Thompson is one of the UK’s most affable TV personalities.

After first launching onto our screens in 2013 in Made in Chelsea, Sam has gone on to host his own Hits Radio show, join Joel Dommett in fronting I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here Unpacked and present his own podcast Staying Relevant with his best friend Pete Wicks.

Last week, on the latest episode of his podcast with Pete, Sam revealed his Christmas “wasn’t good,” alluding to his split with his long-term girlfriend Zara McDermott. “It was tough. I won’t say too much as it’s not fair on other parties, but it’s been a real tough month.”

Since then, Sam sat down for an exclusive conversation with HELLO! to discuss his loved ones as he teamed up with Heinz on its comfort campaign, proving that Heinz soup is scientifically as comforting as a hug from a loved one.

When asked how his friend Pete comforts him when he most needs it, Sam said: “If I ever need Pete, he is the first person to call me. If I were to message Pete, sincerely I’d be like: ‘Mate, I really need some advice or mate, I’m really struggling’ and vice versa, but it’s normally the other way around.

“He will be the first person to call me in a heartbeat, we speak probably twice a day, normally, just about everything in life and I think it’s really nice.

“I feel very fortunate to be able to have such a nice, relationship with Pete to the point where we’re so tight, it doesn’t make us cringe out. We talk about our feelings, but we also mug each other off.

“It’s everything I would ever want. If I was really in need, he’d be there for me. And if he’s ever in need, I’m obviously there for him.”

Despite reports Pete is in a relationship with Love Island starlet Maura Higgins, Sam explained that it’s news to him and said he is incredibly confident he is still the TOWIE star’s “number one”.

Of the alleged relationship, Sam said: “Pete would kill me if I even acknowledged the fact that he had a girlfriend was seeing someone because I don’t even know if he does, believe it or not, he keeps his relationship so private.

Adding: “So I think I’ll take the number one spot over his mum, to be honest with you. We love Tracy Wicks—she’s great.”

As someone with an incredibly close bond to his family –  his sister Louise Thompson literally living next door – Sam also revealed what it is about his family that make him feel comforted, particularly when he can’t be near them.

“My neighbours who happen to be my family are the most homely people. I’m go, go, go, and at a million miles an hour. I’ve got a radio show, my podcast and I do so much stuff. I’m all over the place and I come home sometimes and as much as  I love the home that I built,  I go next door and feel that warm feeling of family.

“You’ve got my nephew Leo  just running around, and you’ve got Louise running after him and being like: “Stop.”

“You’ve got Ryan [Libbey] who’s there being like: ‘Hey man, do you wanna go and have a cigar outside?’  I don’t even even smoke!”

“It’s such a home and so whenever I’m away I think of that, that’s the bit that I adore.”

But it isn’t all one way, and Sam opened up about how he becomes a support system for his nearest and dearest particularly for Louise whose recent health struggles have left her in and out of hospital.

During that time, Sam said he knew it was his job to comfort her in the best way he knows how.  “I don’t wish that upon anyone to have to learn what role you play in those kind of situations, but they do, everyone plays a role. I’m the joker. So I’ll come in [to the hospital room] and try and make her laugh.”

Louise has been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. She has also been diagnosed with lupus, postnatal anxiety and PTSD over the last few years.

“I’ll go in and try and take her mind off what’s going on by telling her some stupid story about me, that’s just happened in the podcast.

“I’ll say something like: ‘Oh God, it’s all gone wrong’ something that takes her somewhere else.”

As for what’s next for the TV personality, Sam said he has a jam-packed year already and despite all he has achieved, his ambitions continue to sky-rocket.

“When I did [I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here] Unpacked, I was like: ‘God, I’m actually doing this,.'”

He added: “What I want to do is build a community of people if I can who would be excited that I would be hosting something, like I have on my radio show but I want to build that for TV. One day I’d love to host This Morning.” Well if it was up to us Sam would get the job!