2018–2020: Reality television

In June 2018, McDermott became a contestant on the fourth series of Love Island.^[13] She entered the villa as a "bombshell" contestant on Day 15 and coupled up with Adam Collard, before being dumped from the villa ten days later.^[14] In October 2019, McDermott took part in The X Factor: Celebrity as part of No Love Lost, a group which featured her Love Island co-stars Eyal Booker, Samira Mighty and Wes Nelson.^[15] They were mentored by Louis Walsh and finished in eighth place. The same month, McDermott began appearing as a cast member on the E4 reality series Made in Chelsea, alongside Thompson.^[16] She made her last appearance on the show in December 2020.^[17]

2021–present: Documentaries and Strictly Come Dancing

McDermott admitted that she had felt like the least successful person from her series of Love Island and wanted to take an unconventional approach to success. After departing from Made in Chelsea, she explained that she wanted to move on from short-term brand deals and reality television to focus on making documentaries.^[18] In February 2021, McDermott appeared in her own BBC documentary, Zara McDermott: Revenge Porn, which saw her recall the experience of having her nude photos leaked as a teenager.^[19] She later appeared in a follow-up documentary, Zara McDermott: Uncovering Rape Culture, in November, which saw McDermott draw on her own experience of almost being raped.^[20][21] In March 2022, McDermott presented the dating series Love in the Flesh on BBC Three.^[22] The premise of the show featured couples who had only ever spoken online, meeting in person for the first time.^[23] In November 2022, she fronted a further documentary, Zara McDermott: Disordered Eating.^[24]

In July 2023, McDermott presented the documentary Gaia: A Death on Dancing Ledge, based on the disappearance and death of teenager Gaia Pope-Sutherland.^[25] A month later, she was announced as a contestant on the twenty-first series of Strictly Come Dancing.^[26][27] She became the first Love Island cast member to be cast on the series. McDermott was paired with Graziano Di Prima and they were the fifth couple to be eliminated Halloween Week.^[28][29] In 2024, she presented for the BBC The Idaho Murders: Trial by TikTok, where she heads to the small town of Moscow, Idaho to find out about the global online manhunt that followed four tragic murders. Also in 2024, she is set to present a four-part documentary series for the BBC titled Ibiza: Secrets of the Party Island.^[30]