Sam Thompson, who is currently completing a 260 mile Soccer Aid challenge to raise funds for Unicef, was left in stitches as his pal Pete Wicks cheered him on during his third day with a cheeky sign that poked fun at his ex, Zara McDermott.

Sam Thompson and best mate Pete Wicks(Image: Instagram)

Pete Wicks hilariously mocked Zara McDermott’s famous ‘you can’ moment from Made in Chelsea as he cheered on pal Sam Thompson on his 260 mile Soccer Aid challenge on Wednesday. The I’m A Celeb star who is currently taking part in a 260 mile Soccer Aid Challenge which he must complete either on foot or bike, was surprised by his best mate Pete during the latest segment where he was seen cheering on Sam with a sign that read ‘You can do it. You caaan.”

Pete shouted out the sign’s message, which is a reference to a now iconic Made In Chelsea scene where Zara begs for Sam to give her another chance after cheating on him during her time on Celebrity X Factor in 2019. Zara and Sam rekindled, dating for five years before they split at the end of last year. The former Love Island has since swiftly moved on with One Direction star Louis Tomlinson.

In the hilarious clip shared on the Staying Relevant podcast TikTok page, Pete is seen screaming ‘you can!’ at Sam as he erupts into fits of laughter while cycling his bike. Pete cheekily captioned the video: “A few words of motivation for Sam..” and purposely imitated Zara’s tone of voice she had used when she insisted that Sam could forgive her for her infidelities.

Fans in the comments were left in stitches by Pete’s hilarious jibe as one wrote: “Hahahaha the shade only Pete can get away with.” Another chimed in: “Best sign he could’ve done”, alongside a clapping hands emoji.

A third replied: “I would LOVE to see Zara’s reaction to this.” A fourth exclaimed: “This is too funny! Never should’ve given her that second chance!!”

The joke is sure to sting if Zara spots the clip as she previously spoke about ‘You Can’ meme on GK Barry’s Saving Grace podcast.

Speaking about how she’s been trolled over the moment, Zara said: “I mean it’s really not nice hearing your painful voice because that’s me in like a lot of emotional distress.

“So like it’s kind of like nails on a chalkboard. It’s part of the going on a reality show, is living your loveliest moments and darkest moments in the public eye.”

While Zara has moved on already, Sam is currently challenging himself to complete a mammoth 260 mile journey on both bike and foot to deliver the match ball to its new home in Old Trafford, with the hope of raising much-needed funds for Unicef.

Before setting off on Monday, Pete shared a sweet tribute to his pal on Instagram writing: “Tomorrow this man embarks on a mental and physical challenge for an amazing cause @Unicef.’

“Mate I couldn’t be prouder of you as a friend, a brother and as a man. You are gonna push yourself to the limit and I can’t wait to watch you complete this f**king mammoth task.

“I know how much work you’ve put in and I know you’re doing it for the right reasons.”

He added: “Just so you know, you’re doing it with every single one of your friends and family right behind you. I hope the nation follows your journey and helps you along the way in donations and support.

“You are an inspiration to me and many others and I admire the man you’ve become this year more than any other year I’ve known you. Good luck brother, you’ve got this.”

To complete the gruelling challenge, Sam must run a marathon for five days and cycle in between, ensuring the ball arrives on June 6, just in time for kickoff on Sunday, June 15.

Sam, who sustained a ‘significant’ calf injury earlier in the week is determined to crack on with the task.

He said: “This is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I now have to accept that I’ve done damage to my calf and running is very difficult.

“But I can and will carry on, not matter what, on two feet and two pedals, I’m still going to get there and get across the finish line on Friday. It’s just going to be longer, harder but my reason for doing it still hasn’t changed.

“I really hope people are digging deep for UNICEF, seeing what I’m trying to do and are getting behind this challenge.”

In a potentially awkward overlap, Zara’s new love, Louis Tomlinson is one of the celebs who will be participating in Soccer Aid for UNICEF on Sunday, June 15, 2025, at Old Trafford.