How I’m A Celeb favourite Sam Thompson went from boarding school and a charmed childhood to one of the nation’s most prolific reality stars – and looks set to ‘bank a bumper payday’ if he’s crowned King of the Jungle

Sam Thompson was the Made In Chelsea joker who only got a role on the E4 series due to his famous older sister.

But now the reality star is having the last laugh as he’s currently the bookies’ favourite to be crowned King of the Jungle after winning over legions of viewers on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

The 31-year-old is in a three-horse race to win the series, alongside This Morning presenter Josie Gibson, 38, and former EastEnders actress Danielle Harold, 31, but the bookmakers believe he’s got the edge on his rivals and it’s easy to see why.

He’s impressed the show’s fans with his positive attitude and super enthusiastic nature and is providing most of the humour on this year’s series, which has been overshadowed by influencer Nella Rose’s spats with Fred Sirieix and Nigel Farage.

Sam has been the perfect distraction from the squabbles, a role he adopted on Made In Chelsea.

Sam Thompson was the Made In Chelsea joker who only got a role on the series due to his famous older sister but now the reality star is having the last laugh 

The TV personality joined Louise on Made In Chelsea in 2013 and later became close friends with Jamie Laing and Spencer Matthews 

The success of his glamorous property developer mum Karen (pictured) enabled him to go to private school in Berkshire which later gave him the platform to mix with the Chelsea clan 

Now class clown Sam is a star in his own right, becoming a TikTok sensation alongside Strictly star girlfriend Zara McDermott, who found fame on Love Island in 2018

Compared to his co-stars, including hotel heir Spencer Matthews and Jamie Laing, Sam came from humble beginnings, but the success of his glamorous property developer mum Karen enabled him to go to private school in Berkshire which later gave him the platform to mix with the Chelsea clan alongside his sister Louise.

But now class clown Sam is a star in his own right, becoming a TikTok sensation alongside Strictly star girlfriend Zara McDermott, 26, and best friend Pete Wicks, and is also finally being taken seriously courtesy of the documentary he made about his ADHD and autism diagnosis with Channel 4. 

And bagging the jungle crown is only going to make Sam an even bigger entity, so much so PR experts believe he could become Made In Chelsea’s most successful export and bank a bumper payday in the process. 

Mark Borkowski told MailOnline: ‘Sam projects a lot of energy and he’s certainly getting plenty of airtime. There’s also good will towards him on social media, especially towards his ADHD and autism.

‘I’m A Celeb is a testing ground for celebrities who have big followings on Instagram and TikTok to see whether they resonate with the ITV audience.

‘ITV are in pursuit of viewers that aren’t reliant on linear television so they could be looking to invest in Sam and of course then, the brand deals will follow.

‘He has an effervescent personality and performs for the cameras… he says he is blessed to be on a show like I’m A Celeb because he loves the format as well as Ant and Dec so if he manages to sustain his popularity, he will have a bright future in Showbiz.’

Sam was educated at the prestigious Bradfield College, close to where Kate Middleton grew up. 

Sam’s relationship with Zara hasn’t always been smooth sailing after the Strictly star cheated on him in the early stages of their romance

After rekindling their relationship, Zara became part of Sam’s family, joining his mum Karen and sister Louise as well as her fiancé Ryan Libbey on holiday 

Sam is an uncle to Louise’s two year old son Leo and together him and Zara often share babysitting responsibilities

Following Louise’s breakthrough on Made In Chelsea, Sam joined the cast in 2013, quickly becoming close friends with Jamie, whose great-great-grandfather invented the McVitie’s digestive biscuit.

His rise to stardom has seen him appear on a number of reality shows including Celebs Go Dating, Celebrity Big Brother, SAS: Who Dares Wins and Celebrity Coach trip. 

But his fame has skyrocketed in recent years because of his hilarious TikTok videos and relationship with Zara who has gone from Love Island contestant to fronting her own BBC documentaries. 

He achieved another goal this year, joining the presenting panel on Love Island spin-off show Aftersun alongside host Maya Jama and ex-Islander Indiyah Polack after growing fascinated with the show, which opened doors for his girlfriend. 

The couple’s romance hasn’t always been smooth sailing, with Zara cheating on Sam at the beginning of their relationship.

But after their heartbreaking split played out for the world to see in scenes captured on Made In Chelsea, the pair rekindled and are now predicted to become one of TV’s golden couples.

Although, it will not be Zara who meets Sam at the famous I’m A Celebrity bridge if he is to be crowned winner of this year’s series.

She’s currently abroad filming a new documentary and had hoped she would still be competing in Strictly Come Dancing and therefore unable to travel to Australia.

Instead Sam’s podcast co-star Pete Wicks, famed for his appearances on TOWIE, will be there to support him, telling MailOnline last week that there’s nothing he would change about his best friend.  

And they could be sharing a life changing moment if Sam walks over the bridge to meet him wearing the jungle crown. 

Sam’s podcast co-star Pete Wicks, famed for his appearances on TOWIE, landed in Australia this week to support his close friend ahead of the show’s eliminations 

Sam, pictured with his mum, sister, and grandparents, attended the prestigious Bradfield College, which is a private school located close to where Kate Middleton grew up

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