As Sam Smith turns 32, the Mirror takes a look at their star-studded love life - from a reported TOWIE romance to their current 'smitten' relationship with a top designer
A very happy birthday is in order for Sam Smith, who turns 32 today.
The non-binary singer, who goes by they/them pronouns, has plenty to celebrate as they mark one more year on Earth. As well as clocking up plenty of musical accolades, London-born Sam has also found love with boyfriend Christian Cowan, an extremely fashionable designer who has previously worked with the likes of Lady Gaga, Cardi B, and Jennifer Lopez.
The couple were first papped sharing a kiss in January 2023 - much to the delight of fans - and things have continued to heat up from there. As Sam prepares to get their birthday celebrations underway, the Mirror casts an eye back over some of their most memorable romances...
Famous TOWIE ex
In 2015, it was reported that Sam had been on a series of low-key dates with TOWIE star Charlie King. Just one year before the alleged romance, Charlie had revealed he was gay during an episode of This Morning.
It's believed the pair connected after Charlie sent Sam no fewer than 11 complimentary tweets on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. In one admiring post, the reality star - who'd previously dated fellow TOWIE star Gemma Collins - told Sam: "You are just incredible."
The Sun reported at the time Sam and Charlie had been spending time together in quiet pubs or at Sam's flat, making sure to stay out of the limelight.
A source told the publication: "The pair hung out to discover if they were compatible. Friends have said nothing romantic happened because they decided they were better off as friends.
"They enjoyed each other's company as both are quite deep individuals. They deliberately never took any pictures together because they wanted to keep it under wraps. Sam's schedule is incredibly hectic so their dates were very sporadic. They mutually decided in May that it wasn't going to work."
Soapstar flame
In April 2016, Sam was romantically linked with former Hollyoaks actor Andy Newton Lee, who played cheeky Robbie Flynn in the Channel 4 soap. By that point, Andy had left the student bars of Chester behind for LA, where he established a relocation and visa consultancy service for entertainment industry professionals.
He and Sam reportedly locked eyes at the Californian music festival Coachella - where sparks soon flew. Speaking exclusively with Mirror Celeb at the time, a source said: "Everyone is now talking about Sam and Andy after they got close at Coachella, but it's still very early days.
"Andy is aware he's been texting other guys and doesn't quite know what to make of it at the moment. Sam's messages can be sporadic and he's still been messaging TayTay in recent weeks, claiming he's still into him.
"Andy is also upset the news has spread because he's still confused about his sexuality and isn't openly gay back home. He's worried how some people he knows in Hull in East Yorkshire are going to react when they hear about him and Sam."
Love with 13 Reasons Why star
In October 2017, gossip began to swirl around Sam and 13 Reasons Why star Brandon Flynn, who played Justin Foley in the hit Netflix drama, after the pair were spotted holding hands and kissing while out and about in New York. In December of that same year, the couple went official with their relationship - sharing a sweet snap of themselves using matching unicorn hats.
Their relationship lasted nine months in total, and it would appear that things ended amicably. In 2018, Sam told The Times: "Brandon was wonderful. I'm still trying to figure out what I took from that relationship and what it meant to me. It's still quite raw."
Although Sam didn't divulge exactly why their romance ended, they did reflect: "All my relationships have ended in a nice way, never nasty."
'Smitten' on red carpet
Earlier this month, Sam rocked up to the 2024 Met Gala with boyfriend Christian Cowan, in what marked their relationship red carpet debut.
Sam has been dating high-end designer Christian since 2023, and the pair appeared utterly enthralled with each other as they posed for snaps, with plenty of affection and loving gazes.
Offering her analysis of the glam couple during an interview with the Mirror, behavioural professional Judi James observed: "Sam looks very smitten with their Met 'plus one' here'. Apparently deciding to use eye contact to signal affection rather than the usual couple poses involving touch and entwining.
"Sam's expression as they gaze at their boyfriend's face looks playful as well as happy and it is sweet that they produce a smile for him, rather than one that is just aimed at the cameras."
Continuing in this positive vein, Judi continued: "Sam's cheeks are rounded and their eyes crinkle to suggest genuine pleasure here. Their partner's facial expression looks a little more demure here, with a closed-lip smile rather than a grin, but his cheeks are also rounded, showing a return of affection."
A photo shared via Instagram showed the couple clad in uber-stylish suits, looking positively tailor-made for each other. Sam captioned the post: "Side by side, always."
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