Smirking Sam Thompson emerges from his London home after breaking Tier 4 travel rules

Sam Thompson looked sheepish as he was seen for the first time since it was revealed he flouted Tier 4 rules to fly to the Maldives with Zara McDermott. 

The Made In Chelsea star, 28, smirked and hid behind his pale green hoodie as he left his London home on Wednesday after returning from his trip. 

Sam had been noticeably quiet on social media over the New Year period but eagle-eyed fans rumbled he was abroad with Zara, 23, due to her uploading an Instagram post from a different time zone.  

Caught out? Sam Thompson looked sheepish as he was seen for the first time since it was revealed he flouted Tier 4 rules to fly to the Maldives with Zara McDermott

Sam looked coy as he kept his head low with his hood covering his face.

The reality star hid his newly-bronzed tan by teaming the hoodie with grey joggers and trainers. 

While Sam tried to keep a low-profile, Zara ignored the mounting backlash over their trip as she took to Instagram on Tuesday night to answer a self-indulgent question and answer session about her life, love and pre-reality TV career.

Low profile: The Made In Chelsea star, 28, smirked and hid behind his pale green hoodie as he left his London home on Wednesday after returning from their trip

Low profile: The Made In Chelsea star, 28, smirked and hid behind his pale green hoodie as he left his London home on Wednesday after returning from their trip

Back together: The couple booked the trip after reuniting following the sensational revelation Zara had cheated on him at the beginning of their trip  (pictured last year)

Back together: The couple booked the trip after reuniting following the sensational revelation Zara had cheated on him at the beginning of their trip  (pictured last year)

The television personality brazenly spoken about her job as a government advisor, mere hours after it emerged the pair had broken strict rules regarding the ban on non-essential travel abroad to ring in the New Year at the idyllic island destination.   

Zara said she got the job back in 2015 and was put on a placement in the Department of Energy and Climate Change. 

‘I worked in policy for a bit but I loved working in briefings and correspondence because it meant that if the Prime Minister or any Minister were to be asked a question on our specific team area, my job would be to work with the experts and draft a brief with their expertise, get it signed off by my bosses and then send up to the Minister’s office.’ 

Busted: Sam had been noticeably quiet over the New Year period but eagle-eyed fans rumbled he was abroad with Zara, 23, due to her uploading an Instagram from a different time zone

Busted: Sam had been noticeably quiet over the New Year period but eagle-eyed fans rumbled he was abroad with Zara, 23, due to her uploading an Instagram from a different time zone

Feeling sheepish? Sam looked coy as he kept his head low with his hood covering his face

Feeling sheepish? Sam looked coy as he kept his head low with his hood covering his face

Feeling the chill: The reality star hid his newly-bronzed tan by teaming the hoodie with grey joggers and trainers

Feeling the chill: The reality star hid his newly-bronzed tan by teaming the hoodie with grey joggers and trainers

Outrage: The reality TV pair flouted the Tier 4 rules when they were spotted flying out of London last Sunday on December 27 ¿ a week after the Tier 4 travel ban

Naughty: Fans have accused the Made In Chelsea couple of disguising the fact they were abroad by altering timestamps and sharing pre-recorded content on social media

Outrage: The reality TV pair flouted the Tier 4 rules when they were spotted flying out of London last Sunday on December 27 – a week after the Tier 4 travel ban

Government advisor: Zara brazenly spoken about her job as a government advisor, mere hours after it emerged the pair had broken strict rules regarding the ban on non-essential travel

Important issues: Zara said she got the job back in 2015 and was put on a placement in the Department of Energy and Climate Chang

Government advisor: Zara brazenly spoken about her job as a government advisor, mere hours after it emerged the pair had broken strict rules regarding the ban on non-essential travel

Smitten: During the Q and A, one follower asked Zara what her 'favourite thing' was about Sam. The Made In Chelsea star said 'That's a hard one', before talking about her beau's good traits

Smitten: During the Q and A, one follower asked Zara what her ‘favourite thing’ was about Sam. The Made In Chelsea star said ‘That’s a hard one’, before talking about her beau’s good traits

The reality TV pair flouted the Tier 4 rules when they were spotted flying out of London last Sunday on December 27 – a week after rules came into place banning travel from Tier 4 areas on December 20. 

Zara has continued to share photos on her Instagram, marking her location as London, United Kingdom.  

Fans have accused the Made In Chelsea couple of disguising the fact they were abroad by altering timestamps and sharing pre-recorded content on social media.  

Living it up: A source told MailOnline Zara and Sam, who live together in west London, stayed at luxury resort Ayada Maldives, where they previously visited in December 2019

Living it up: A source told MailOnline Zara and Sam, who live together in west London, stayed at luxury resort Ayada Maldives, where they previously visited in December 2019

A source told MailOnline Zara and Sam, who live together in west London, stayed at luxury resort Ayada Maldives, where they previously visited in December 2019.

On Monday night, Zara uploaded a photo of her to promote her new edit with fashion brand Missguided, tagging the location of the Instagram post, ‘London’. 

Fans of the couple became suspicious of their whereabouts last week, when eagle-eyed followers spotted something was off with Zara’s Instagram Stories. 

Last Tuesday, Zara shared an old video of her watching Sam on the PlayStation, urging other girlfriends of ‘gamers’ to respond with ways of irritating their partners as they compete.  

Stay at home: On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson plunged the nation into its third lockdown, confirming the message is to now 'stay home, protect the NHS'

Stay at home: On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson plunged the nation into its third lockdown, confirming the message is to now ‘stay home, protect the NHS’

Caught out?: Fans accused the Made In Chelsea couple of trying to disguise the fact they're abroad by altering timestamps and sharing prerecorded content on social media

Slip up?: Last Tuesday, Zara shared screenshots of messages she had received to her Instagram Stories, showing a different time zone before they changed to reflect the time in London

Slip up?: Last Tuesday, Zara shared screenshots of messages she had received to her Instagram Stories, showing a different time zone before they changed to reflect the time in London

Zara then started to share screenshots of comments sent by her fans on her Instagram Stories – with one showing her local time to be 11:14pm, instead of just gone 7pm as it was in the UK. 

In a swiftly-deleted Instagram story, Zara posted a response from a fan, which read: ‘Accidentally unplug the TV whilst plugging the hoover in or just hoover in front of the TV’ alongside the comment: ‘This is a good one. “Babe I’m cleaning? Why are you complaining?”‘   

After viewers spotted her local time, the next interaction reflected the correct time in London.    

MailOnline has contacted Sam and Zara’s representatives for comment.  

'Meant to be in the Maldives right now but whatever': Prior to their breakup, Zara and Sam had planned a trip to the Maldives in November alongside Louise Thompson and Ryan Libbey

‘Meant to be in the Maldives right now but whatever’: Prior to their breakup, Zara and Sam had planned a trip to the Maldives in November alongside Louise Thompson and Ryan Libbey

Prior to their break-up, Zara and Sam had planned a luxurious trip to the Maldives in November alongside Sam’s sister Louise Thompson, 30, and her fiancé Ryan Libbey, 30.

The couple, who rekindled their relationship in December, missed out on the holiday, with Zara sharing a post longing to be on the idyllic getaway.   

At the point of Zara and Sam’s flight to the Maldives, London was under Tier 4 restrictions. 

Travel abroad for leisure is banned under Tier 4 guidelines with exceptions only allowing reasons such as work, education and childcare.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all but essential travel to the Maldives.

On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson plunged the nation into its third lockdown, confirming the message from the government is to now ‘stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.’ 

Idyllic: Sam and Zara last holidayed together in the Maldives in December 2019, staying at luxury hotel Ayada (Zara pictured in the Maldives in Dec 2019)

Idyllic: Sam and Zara last holidayed together in the Maldives in December 2019, staying at luxury hotel Ayada (Zara pictured in the Maldives in Dec 2019)