Sam Thompson enjoys ‘cosy chat’ with Love Island star ex Samie Elishi at NTAs

The National Television Awards’ red carpet host Sam Thompson reunited with former Love Island star Samie Elishi whilst at the awards ceremony in London last night

Sam Thompson reunited with Samie Elishi at the NTAs last night(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Exes Sam Thompson and Samie Elishi reunited at the National Television Awards last night. The two reality TV stars are said to have enjoyed a “cosy chat” in a smoking area outside the O2 Arena whilst at the awards ceremony.

They were among the guests at the event in London, which was televised on ITV. Sam, 33, provided red carpet coverage alongside pal Pete Wicks, whilst Samie, 25, was one of the former Love Island stars in attendance, with the show nominated for the Reality Competition award.

Sam and Samie, who are said to have split up over the summer, reunited at the special occasion yesterday. The exes were seen together in an outdoor area during the evening after having previously reunited at a party in July.

READ MORE: Narinder Kaur refused entry on to NTAs red carpet as she’s left ‘humiliated’READ MORE: Inside NTAs winner’s room: Tearful reunion, ‘jibes’ at losers and heartfelt admissions

Sam Thompson and Pete Wicks, both in black suits, at the NTAs 2025.
Sam Thompson (left), pictured with pal Pete Wicks (right), was among the celebrities at the National Television Awards last night(Image: Getty Images for the NTA’s)
Samie Elishi in a yellow dress at the NTAs 2025.
Sam reunited with his ex Samie Elishi whilst at the awards ceremony in London(Image: Getty Images for the NTA’s)

Photos published by the Daily Mail show former Made in Chelsea cast member Sam and former islander Samie stood by each other outside the venue in London. They appeared to be in good spirts whilst joined by someone else.

The outlet reports that the pair, who are said to have remained amicable after parting ways, “snuck out” of the event for a cigarette. It adds that they chatted in the smoking area before leaving, having seemingly opted not to attend the official afterparty for this year’s NTAs.

It’s been described as the “second cosy interaction” between Sam and Samie “in a matter of weeks”. They are said to have previously reunited at a launch event organised by haircare brand REHAB, which was hosted in July.

Pete Wicks, Sam Thompson, Samie Elishi and Georgia Harrison at an event in May 2025.
It comes following the news in June that Sam and Samie had parted ways after two months together(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
Zara McDermott in a white dress.
Their apparent romance came following Sam’s split from Zara McDermott last year(Image: PA)

A source had told the Daily Mail that the exes were “chatting away” whilst queuing for drinks at the event, which was also attended by Sam’s former co-star Lucy Watson. They added that the pair kept finding their way back to each other.

The source said: “He gently stroked her arm to make sure she had a drink and the pair were laughing away with [his former co-star] Lucy Watson and her partner. […] Sam and Samie chatted away to other guests but kept making their way back to one another before eventually leaving at the same time.”

It comes following reports in June that Sam and Samie had split up after two months together. Their apparent romance came following the end of his relationship with Zara McDermott, who rose to fame on Love Island like Samie, last year.

Article continues below

A source confirmed the end of Sam and Samie’s romance to the Mirror three months ago. They added that things “just didn’t work out” between them, with the source having said: “They both have busy lives, it just didn’t work out.”

Lachlan Rofe dead: Married At First Sight Australia star, 47, dies suddenly

Former Married At First Sight Australia groom Lachlan Rofe has died at the age of 47. The news has prompted tributes to the reality TV star on social media this week and fans have expressed condolences to his loved ones.

Lachlan is best known for having appear on the first series of MAFS Australia, which aired in 2015, and later ended up splitting from bride Clare Tamas. Also known as Lachlan McAleer, he then appeared on the Farmer Wants a Wife.

It’s now been reported that Lachlan has died.






It’s been reported that former Married at First Sight Australia groom Lachlan Rofe has died, aged 47
(
A Current Affair)

The news of his death has prompted condolences and tributes to on social media. One person wrote on Facebook earlier: “Very sad news. Sending love & hugs to the family.” Sharing their thoughts, another said: “This is so sad.”

Someone else commented on the platform: “Rest in peace, Lachlan.” A fourth wrote in response to the news: “Geez I remember him. How very sad. So young.” One person said: “Such sad news. Condolences to his family and friends.”

Lachlan was a groom on the first series of MAFS Australia, which was launched on the Nine Network in 2015. He was matched with bride Clare for the experiment and the couple ended up making it to the final decision together.






Lachlan Rofe and Clare Tamas in a promo photo for MAFS Australia.


He had appeared on the first series of the show, with him having been matched with bride Clare Tamas, whom he later split from
(
Nine Network)

It was however later announced that they had separated. Lachlan confirmed that they had parted ways 12 months after filming had finished but he said at the time that they were “still friends”.

A year after appearing on MAFS Australia, he took part in the ninth series of the Farmer Wants a Wife, which aired on the same network in the country in 2016. The show, based on the UK series of the same name, saw farmers looking for a wife.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Apple fans rush to grab iPhone 13 worth £425 for under £280 thanks to rare offer

Ahead of the iPhone 17 release, Apple fans seeking an Apple smartphone without breaking the bank won’t want to snooze on this rare deal that sees the iPhone 13 plummet to under £280

Apple fans rush to grab iPhone 13 worth £425 for under £280 thanks to rare offer(Image: Getty)

Apple is gearing up to open pre-orders for the new iPhone 17, but ahead of this big release, shoppers are grabbing a massive discount on an earlier model. The latest deal sees the iPhone 13’s price get slashed, dropping to £273.99 thanks to Amazon’s Second Chance deals.

This model boasts 128GB of storage and is available in a stunning shade of blue. This deal coincides with Apple opening the pre-order window for the iPhone 17 range.

The iPhone 13, released in 2021, will continue to be compatible with the latest iOS updates until 2027. It’s important to note that the Amazon deal is for a refurbished device in ‘Good’ condition, meaning it may exhibit some cosmetic wear.

READ MORE: Smartphone to rival Samsung with over 30 hours of battery life has money off

READ MORE: Simple and cheap hack to keep bins from blowing away as first storm of season is forecast

iPhone 13
Amazon is offering this iPhone 13 for £273.99(Image: Amazon)

As with any new Apple release, the upcoming model will likely carry a hefty price tag. Previous models like the iPhone 16 debuted at £799, making Amazon’s iPhone 13 offer even more enticing.

Shoppers can upgrade to higher storage options for £399 Wowcher. This price undercuts Currys’ own refurbished model in ‘good’ condition, which is priced at £349. Over at Argos, a new iPhone 13 costs £425.

Regardless of the device’s condition, Amazon guarantees full functionality and assures that the device has been refurbished using ‘Apple-compatible’ parts.

Other refurbished options include the iPhone 12 for £165 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 for £175 for those who prefer Android.

For those who prefer to buy brand-new without breaking the bank, Sky Mobile is offering the iPhone 16e for £18 when spreading the cost—its lowest-ever price.

The iPhone 13 is powered by Apple’s A15 Bionic chip. It boasts a Super Retina XDR display and an ‘advanced’ dual-camera system capable of capturing photos and videos with Night Mode, Cinematic Mode, and more. It also provides up to 19 hours of video playback on a single charge and has an IP68 dust and water resistance rating.

Those who have picked up a new iPhone 13 on Amazon have awarded the phone a 4.6-star rating. One buyer said: “I must say I am amazed. Premium quality and feeling, great camera performance—now I understand why people pay a lot for an iPhone.”

Another said: “Upgraded my iPhone SE 2020 for this. It’s so powerful – great longer battery life and so much faster. By no means cheap, but it feels much more robust in the hand, has twice the storage capacity at 128GB, and looks amazing. I’m not too fussed about the apparently great camera but I guess that will be nice too.”

Article continues below

Not all users are thrilled, as one customer noted: “I find the feel of the phone uncomfortable to use compared to earlier models. The edges and side buttons are sharp rather than smooth and rounded as previous makes such as the iPhone 6 Plus were. The old home button was more comfortable to use rather than continually swiping up and catching the edge of the phone.”

Could protests lead to Vuelta being abandoned?

Getty Images

The Vuelta a Espana, the third and final three-week Grand Tour of the year, is currently taking place in Spain – but will it make it to Sunday’s finish line in Madrid?

Pro-Palestinian protestors have disrupted the race on several occasions and with riders saying they are worried for their safety, there have been suggestions the competitors might quit the Vuelta before the final stage.

Asked whether the race should be ended early, the Vuelta organisers – who have had to shorten a number of stages – insisted there is “no Plan B” and that the race will continue until it reaches its conclusion in the Spanish capital.

“We are going to continue with La Vuelta,” said race director Javier Guillen, who added that the disruptions were “illegal”.

However, Thursday’s time trial has been reduced from 27.2km to 12.2km to ensure “greater protection” for the riders.

The focus of the protests has been Israel-Premier Tech, the sponsors of a team which includes several British riders. The team changed to a kit that does not feature the team name midway through the race.

The protests come in the wake of the Israeli military launching a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 64,605 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry.

What has happened?

The race across Spain has seen stages being cut short or interrupted by riders crashing as a result of the protests.

Stage 5: Half of the Israel Premier Tech team are forced to stop after ploughing into a makeshift barrier pulled across the road by protestors during the team time trial.

Stage 10: Simone Petilli of Intermarche-Wanty crashed as the peloton compressed when protestors ran into the road in the Pyrenees.

Stage 11: There was no winner declared after the stage in Bilbao ended 3km early as several protestors tried to push barriers over at the official finish line.

Stage 13: Protestors interrupted the breakaway riders before the climb up the Alto d’Angliru.

Stage 15: Spain’s Javier Romo crashed after two protestors ran across the road in north west Spain’s Galicia region. The Movistar rider later abandoned the race.

Stage 16: Final times were taken 8km from the official finish after a “big protest” 3km from the line.

Israel Premier Tech rider Jan Hirt at the Vuelta Getty Images

Who are Israel Premier Tech?

Israel-Premier Tech are a team co-owned by Canadian-Israeli property billionaire Sylvan Adams.

Adams has close ties to the Israeli government and has previously told BBC Sport he is a “self-appointed ambassador for Israel”.

The 66-year-old was at the White House with US President Donald Trump during the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel and other Emirati states, such as the UAE, in 2020.

The team was founded in 2014 as the Israel Cycling Academy before becoming a World Tour squad – the sport’s top flight – in 2020.

For the 2021 season they signed British four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome on a big-money contract.

His signing failed to deliver big results, but Canadian Michael Woods won stage nine of the Tour de France in 2023, and the team’s squad boasts four of Britain’s best current riders – including Stephen Williams, the victor in last year’s Tour of Britain.

This Vuelta has not gone well for the team, who lost their leading rider Derek Gee days before the race after he asked for his contract to be terminated because “certain issues simply made my continuation at the team untenable”.

Neither Gee nor the team have given a reason, but the Canadian had previously been in negotiations to sign a new contract.

Protestors use flares as Police try to control them at the Vuelta a EspanaGetty Images

What can the organisers do?

Those on the ground have put pressure on Israel-Premier Tech to leave the race, with Vuelta technical director Kiko Gonzalez saying: “There is only one solution: for the Israeli team to recognise that their presence here does not promote safety.”

The team themselves have said quitting would “set a dangerous precedent for all teams”.

They added that the race organisers and police are doing “everything in their power to create a safe environment”.

The reality is, when you race through remote countryside as well as towns and cities across nearly 200km each day for three weeks, protests can be virtually impossible to police.

Related topics

  • Cycling