Sam Thompson's adorable fashion tribute for Strictly girlfriend Zara McDermott

Sam Thompson has shown off his adorable shirt as he prepares to support his girlfriend Zara McDermott on her first-ever Strictly show.

Taking to his Instagram Stories, Sam shared his sweet gesture to contestant Zara - whose Strictly introduction baffled viewers this evening - and let followers see his pre-show enthusiasm. The reality star, who first met Zara in 2019, filmed himself in the queue to get into the studio with TOWIE star and pal Pete Wicks, as well as Zara's mum Karen.

A visibly excited Sam shouted: "Here we go baby!" Before introducing "Zara’s beautiful mother", and exclaiming: "We're ready to support like we've never supported before!" Sam went on: "The queue is there and the queue is building and I’ve brought shirts with Zara’s face on it!"

He could be seen donning a black patterned shirt with Zara's face printed on it. And proving he's a real fan, he has even taken along some hand-written banners to hold up during the show.In another video Sam held his signs up to the camera, reading out his messages. He said: "Look - 'we love you goose' and then 'you’re our star!'"

Sam was also spotted in the crowd, smiling as he watched on. The former MiC star said he loves how driven Zara is when it comes to her passions - including her preparation for Strictly.

He told The Mirror: "I'm just so proud of Zara. My favourite thing about her is that she is the most driven person when it comes to what she enjoys. That to me is so important. The documentaries she does are so heavy-hitting emotionally. Bear in mind that you're speaking to a guy who makes TikTok dances with Pete (Wicks) for a living!

"The contrast is so huge. It's so big for me. One of the best turn-ons for me mentally is caring about what you do. We counter-balance each other well, we don't take things too seriously in this household. She's amazing, hopefully, I add a little light-hearted relief after she's had a tough day."

He made the shock revelation that he wants to start a family soon. Sam added: "These years are going by so fast. When I'm 40 I definitely hope that I have a family. I want marriage and kids. We don't know exactly where life takes us and there are so many doors that could open.

"I would like a boy and a girl, to be honest. I probably want three or four. But Zara's in charge, she'll probably tell me! I look at my little baby nephew Leo, he's not a baby anymore - he's two-and-a-half, but he's the cutest thing in the world. If I could have a child like him I'd have ten!"

Follow Mirror Celebs on Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Threads.