Former Made In Chelsea star Sam Thompson has opened up about a nerve-wracking encounter with ITV bosses that left him visibly shaken. The 33-year-old presenter, who delivers showbiz news every Thursday on the long-running daytime programme This Morning, described the experience as unexpectedly intense.
A Meeting That Turned Tense
During the latest episode of his podcast Staying Relevant, which he co-hosts with friend Pete Wicks, 37, Thompson recounted the details of what he anticipated would be a routine performance review. "I got asked by the boss, who's a lovely guy, to come into his office and take a seat," Sam shared. "He was like 'I think you're doing great, I'd just, like, want to go through where I think we're doing well, where I think we can improve.' I love to hear it, I want to know where I can improve."
Expectations Versus Reality
Pete Wicks immediately recognised his friend's mindset, remarking: "I know you would have gone in there going, 'I am doing great, this is going to be a fluffing session.'" Sam admitted this was exactly his approach: "Pete, I did exactly that! I went in [thinking] so it's going to be a little bit of negative, but probably mostly positive."
The reality proved far more critical than anticipated. "He sits down and goes, 'Sam, I think you're doing a phenomenal job, these are the things I think you could be better at,'" Thompson revealed. "Spent the entirety of the thing being like, 'So this bit, I don't know what you're doing.' That's quite savage reviews!"
The Physical Reaction
The former I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! winner described how the half-hour meeting affected him physically. "It went on for about half an hour, by the end of it I'm white as a sheet, I'm, like, shaking," he confessed. The executive concluded with "Anyway mate, smashing it" before walking out, leaving Thompson to process the feedback.
Taking Criticism On Board
Despite the initial shock, Thompson clarified that he valued the constructive criticism. "Actually, these kinds of reviews actually do help, because I then did take on board what he said and I did actually do a little bit better," he explained. The specific feedback focused on his presentation technique: "He said that the art of the segue could do with a little bit of panache."
Previous On-Air Embarrassment
This revelation follows another uncomfortable moment for Thompson on the This Morning sofa just last month. Co-host Ben Shephard delivered a withering swipe at Sam's appearance as he joined the programme. Before Thompson could discuss the latest showbiz headlines, Shephard commented on his tan: "I think you're going more and more orange."
Thompson responded by flapping his hands in the air: "Don't! You've got to stop this!" Lifting his hands to reveal fake tan on his palms, he smiled while co-host Cat Deeley chimed in: "You're going to give him a complex!" Shephard added, "He looks very healthy," leaving Thompson appearing embarrassed behind him.
Continuing Role
Despite these challenging moments, Sam Thompson continues his regular Thursday appearances on This Morning, updating viewers on the latest entertainment news. The programme airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX.
