Zara McDermott and Louis Tomlinson have given away clues to their relationship timeline following a romantic dinner date. The Love Island beauty, 28, and One Direction star, 33, were spotted enjoying each other’s company at a posh hotel in Aldeburgh, Suffolk.
An eagle-eyed hotel guest noticed the pair’s undeniable chemistry and revealed: “They looked every bit the happy couple,” as they were caught giggling and holding hands. The observer managed to snap pictures of the two, noting they seemed to be “having a great time” while their hands touched across the table. They also pointed out that “Zara had a few cocktails” and “Louis was really making her giggle” as their cosy chat continued in the chic venue.
The location for their meet-up has been labelled as ‘romantic’ – and now body language expert Judi James has given an insight to the Mirror about the depth of their bond. Judi remarked: “This looks very much like a romantic and rather old-school date in a more traditional venue than you might expect from a pop star, but Zara’s styling with her loosely curled hair suggests she’s happily in the mood for some old fashioned wining and dining.”
She continued: “The signals of full, undivided attention between the pair send of first/second date vibes, with Zara’s head-cock ritual suggesting a desire to be liked.” Judi also pointed out that “Louis is less visible, but it’s obvious from his cheek shape that he’s mirroring Zara’s smitten-looking smiles here.”
A source told The Sun about their romantic Suffolk escape, revealing that “Louis whisked Zara away” and wooed her with his old-school charm. “Louis is a proper gentleman so this trip was something he planned and put on for Zara,” the insider revealed. “He was really thoughtful and wanted to make it special. They share the same values and are both incredibly close with their families.” The source also mentioned that while Zara and Louis are taking things at a leisurely pace, they’re thoroughly enjoying each other’s company.
Rumours are swirling that the duo have been in conversation for a while now and have shared a few low-key ‘dates’ in the past few weeks. This comes after Zara’s split from her long-term beau, Sam Thompson at the end of last year.
Social media detectives started suspecting a spark between Zara and Louis weeks ago when they noticed that Louis and his sisters, Lottie, Daisy, and Phoebe, all started following Zara on Instagram. Zara followed back, and intriguingly, out of the mere 338 accounts that Louis follows, Zara stands out as one of the select few.
Speculation was fueled further after Louis liked one of Zara’s stunning BRIT Awards photos, which she posted on March 1. For the glitzy event, Zara dazzled in a white-feathered gown with a daring thigh split, teamed with chic white stilettos, and her hair styled in an elegant updo as she graced the O2 Arena in London as L’Oréal’s guest.
Some fans have suggested that Zara may have connected with Louis through his sisters, especially considering her background in documentary filmmaking and whispers about the Tomlinson family’s desire to launch their own reality TV series. An online commenter noted: “I’ve heard about the link with a documentary as well. Zara has been involved in a recent change in the law as it’s now illegal to threaten to share images without someone’s consent. I can see something like that appealing to Louis, even though it’s revenge porn that is the basis of Zara’s law change.”
Another user suggested: “I think there is a documentary about the Tomlinsons being produced since the sisters are interested in being England’s version of the Kardashians. Zara has worked on documentaries, maybe she is involved with that.”