Sam Thompson beams in cryptic post as he 'moves on from Zara McDermott with reality star'

looked happy as he posted a snap to his Instagram stories in the wake of his split from . The former Made In Chelsea star, 32, split from girlfriend of five years Zara, 28, in December.

Ex star turned documentary maker after the pair were spotted on a string of dates together. And now it seems there could be another woman in Sam's life who is responsible for putting that smile on his face.

In the wake of his rumoured dates with 28-year-old Too Hot To Handle star Lucy Syed, Sam beamed as he uploaded a selfie to his stories and cryptically wrote: "What a day," followed by a smiling face and red love heart emojis.

Whether he is talking about his reported budding romance with Lucy remains to be seen, but the pair are said to have an "instant connection" after reportedly sliding into each others DM's last month before deciding to meet for a date. They are since said to have spent time together on more than one occasion.

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A source told : "Sam and Lucy were sharing direct messages over Instagram before they decided to meet up at a pub and then continue their night at The Rex Rooms [in London's Chelsea area]. They looked really close in the club, chatting and cuddling up together."

The source continued: "Their closeness continued after they spent the night partying together and the pair's connection has certainly put a smile back on Sam's face. Sam is enjoying being single again and dipping his toe back into the dating pool."

Sam is now one of Lucy's 100,000 followers on Instagram. In her bio she describes herself as a 'dog mum chasing the sun'. From her photos, it looks like she is an underwear and swimwear model. The website BACKSTAGE also lists her as being a 'presenter, actor and singer.'

Though he has yet to make an appearance on Lucy's grid, Sam has been keeping himself busy with nights out in Chelsea alongside best pal and their mutual friends since his split with Zara.

A source told The last month: "Sam has been making jokes about his life since the break-up, and that's not really something you'd be doing if you were experiencing total heartbreak. Of course they were sad, but they sort of accepted it a long time ago.

"Sam has been going out and having fun again. He's not dating anyone but he's been on dates. He's been around the Chelsea lot and hanging out with Pete a lot. He's really enjoying himself at the moment, but doesn't want to be tied down."

Meanwhile, ex Zara's new romance with 1D star Louis Tomlinson was confirmed in March after a fellow diner at The Suffolk in Aldeburgh snapped pictures of the two on a romantic night out. Eagle-eyed fans had already spotted that Louis followed Zara on and had been liking several of her pictures. According to pals, Zara is feeling "happier than ever". During their romantic getaway, Zara and Louis splashed out on a £100 fish and chips meal with cocktails at a luxury £315-a-night hotel, before heading back to London separately the next morning.

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