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Sam Thompson and Louis Tomlinson have finally come face-to-face after the One Direction singer started dating the Made in Chelsea star’s ex-girlfriend Zara McDermott.
Last year I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! winner Sam, 32, split from his long-time girlfriend Zara, who rose to fame appearing on Love Island.
The couple had been together for five years, however three months later Zara, 28, was spotted on a date in Suffolk with Louis, 33.
At the time a source said Sam was ‘hurting’ and was struggling after seeing his ex ‘move on so quickly’.
Not long after the new romance was confirmed, it was revealed that the men were set to meet on live TV after both signing up for the Soccer Aid for Unicef match in June, where they will both be playing on the England team.
Now, with the match just a few days away, the pair have taken to the pitch for training at Old Trafford in Manchester, with photographers capturing them together.
During the session, Sam and Louis were seen doing their best to avoid eye contact when meeting.
Throughout training, they were seen having a kick with their fellow teammates, who include Tom Grennan, Bear Grylls, Paddy McGuinness, Wayne Rooney and Jill Scott.
One photo saw them pose for a team photo, with Louis standing directly behind Sam, while another showed Sam standing close by Louis as they trained.
Weighing in on their interaction, body language expert Judi James said Sam looked like he was trying to convey a sense of ‘bravado’.
‘Both Sam’s “red carpet” pose and Louis’s arrival for the game suggest the kind of overkill, stretched smiles that hint at a huge desire to act as though nothing has happened despite this being their first meet-up since Sam split with Zara who then moved on with Louis,’ she told Metro.
‘Sam’s smile in particular looks like a gesture of bravado as his chest is also puffed in a look of pride and resilience. There are no moments here where the two men performed an act of acknowledgment, greeting each other or even shaking hands or hugging to signal there are no hard feelings.’
She went on: ‘When you try to ignore a glaring situation like this it often adds to the drama, but the suggestion is that neither of these celebrity ‘nice guys’ wanted to upstage a very worthwhile charity event. While Sam resorted to playful showboating Louis appeared more low-key and introvert, watching Sam at times but with the two men otherwise avoiding eye contact.’
Since being spotted together in March, Louis and Zara have taken romantic trips away together to Los Angeles and Costa Rica.
Meanwhile Sam has now moved on himself too, and is dating another Love Island star – Samie Eilishi, 25.
However last month his best mate and podcast host Pete Wicks poked fun at Sam, addressing his ‘rivalry’ with Louis.
‘How do you feel about the lineup? Do you think you have a strong team? Any kind of people in there that you’re looking forward to playing with?’ he asked.
Laughing but avoiding to be drawn, Sam listed other stars he was looking forward to playing with.
‘Make sure you get him on side though,’ Pete said about boxer Tyson Fury. ‘Because you may need him in your corner. In case you fall out with anyone – not that you will – but just in case there’s any rivalries or anything.
‘You know you have to train together and it’s a lot and you know when you’re kind of in close quarters with someone like that, all sorts get brought up.’
Despite the potentially awkward run-in, a source previously said that Sam had ‘no hard feelings’ towards Louis.
The Soccer Aid for Unicef match airs Sunday 15 June on ITV1.
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