As Sam Vanderpump opens up about his heartbreaking diagnosis, The Mirror takes a look at the tragedies the Made in Chelsea star and his family have already had to contend with
Made in Chelsea’s Sam Vanderpump has opeend up about hid devastating prognosis(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Made In Chelsea star Sam Vanderpump has bravely opened up about being diagnosed with irreversable end-stage liver disease, which has reduced his life expectancy to just four or five years.
With a loving fiancée and a baby on the way, the 28-year-old TV star and businessman should have everything in the world to look forward to. Instead, his future sadly looks uncertain as he holds out hope for a life-saving liver transplant.
The grave severity of the situation was highlighted in a recent episode of the E4 show, which saw Sam tell pals Ollie Locke and Tabitha Willett: “There is no hope of my liver getting better, and he said I wouldn’t be having this call with you if I thought you could make it through the next four or five years. They’re sending me for liver transplant assessment, so yeah.”
Tabitha and Ollie asked Sam about how he was feeling about the situation, to which he replied: “The way I look at it is I’m healthy now, hopefully I will remain healthy all the way up until I’ll get a call and go in for surgery, and then I wake up and I’ll be healthier”.
In this episode, Sam revealed that he is unsure when he might get a transplant, as there are other patients “higher up on the list”. Messages of support have since flooded in for Sam, whose family has already been so much. Here, the Mirror takes a look at the Vanderpump family tragedies, from Sam’s recent “close call”, to his dad’s devastating death.
READ MORE: Made in Chelsea star Sam Vanderpump could have 5 years to live after end-stage diagnosisHuge health scare
Sam credits his now-fiancée Alice with saving his life
Back in March, Chelsea-based Sam revealed he’d come within hours of death after a genetic condition developed into an infection, and then sepsis. Had it not been for his model fiancée Alice Yaxley, then he may not have survived.
Sam told OK!: “Over Christmas, we went through a bit of an episode together where I got really, really ill/ I got an infection due to a genetic disease I’ve got, which led to sepsis, and it ended up quite bad. I was in the hospital, and it was a close call; I could have died.”
The reality TV star initially dismissed symptoms such as backache and dehydration as signs of the flu; however, as his condition continued to deteriorate, Sam became delirious, and it was clear there was something seriously wrong. Thankfully, concerned Alice was quick to act. Sam said: “By calling the ambulance, my fiancée literally saved my life.”
Doctors later informed Sam that, had he been admitted just 24 hours later, it may have been too late to save him, as his liver and kidneys had already begun to fail. The near-death experience has taken an emotional as well as physical toll on Sam, who suffers from health anxiety.
Sam admitted, “Mentally, it probably is the most challenging thing I’ve gone through. There were signs which can so easily be mistaken for common flu symptoms. So now, every time I get a pain or feel a little lethargic, I think, ‘Oh God, am I getting sepsis?’ rather than, ‘Do I have something completely minor?'”
Dad’s devastating death
The TV star lost his dad at a young age(Image: Channel 4)
On April 30, 2018, Sam’s father, Mark Vanderpump, was found unresponsive at his Gloucestershire home. The businessman and DJ was taken to the hospital but sadly passed away in the early hours of May, Gloucestershire Live reports, at the age of just 59 years old. An inquest carried out that October ruled that Mark had died by suicide.
The coroner told the court: “This was a tragic loss of a man facing numerous life circumstances and ending his life in that way.” The following year, Sam’s aunt Lisa Vanderpump, who was also Mark’s sister, spoke about how her brother’s death had affected her in an emotional episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
In a televised conversation with her husband, Ken Todd, restaurateur and reality star Lisa shared: “It’s still so fresh. My brother was kind of my partner in crime growing up, but we used to torture each other all the time. Whatever happened, it was just the two of us. I’m a strong woman. I can cope. But I was never prepared for this. And it’s been very difficult. Very difficult.”
Shortly after his dad’s death, Sam spoke with Hello! magazine about how the devastating loss had brought him closer to his aunt Lisa, whom he makes sure to visit out in LA. According to Sam: “Losing my dad at a young age was very hard, and Lisa has become my guidance on that side of the family ever since. She is my rock.”
Wedding heartbreak
Alice and Sam are expecting their first child together(Image: Instagram/samvanderpump)
Sam and Alice recently revealed they were welcoming their first child together – a little boy – and even shared the sweet, meaningful name they intend to give him. In an interview given to the Mail Online last month, the proud father-to-be divulged: “We have a name, it’s Marmaduke. My dad is no longer with us, but he always wanted to call my brother ‘Duke’ because he believed my brother would one day become Prime Minister, Duke Vanderpump. I really love the name.
“My mum didn’t like it, so my brother was named Jack. My dad still had the last laugh by giving him the middle name Daniels. I think Marmaduke is fantastic, and we’ll call him Duke for short. There’s a great Downton Abbey scene where Maggie Smith and her daughter discuss a man named Marmaduke, which made us love it even more.”
Naturally, becoming a father without his own dad to turn to has seen Sam navigate a few poignant moments along the way. In a recent episode of Made In Chelsea, Sam and Alice discovered they were expecting a boy following a pregnancy scan, which led to some complicated feelings.
Sam told Alice: “I know I never really talk to you about it […] I just find it really difficult to talk about my dad. I’m never going through anything alone. I’ve always got you and my family, but it’s definitely on my mind. I struggle with the fact my dad’s not going to be there at our wedding, and I struggle with the fact that our child’s not going to know their grandad. It’s very sad – especially with the way he went.”
Alice’s fearsContent cannot be displayed without consent
As a bride-to-be, Alice is looking forward to tying the knot with Sam, with the couple planning for a larger celebration in 2027. But her joy is sadly tinged with worry, as Sam continues to face serious health issues.
In a recent TikTok video, Alice could be seen making orange juice while discussing Sam’s heartbreaking scene with Ollie and Tabitha. She said: “I don’t usually watch Made In Chelsea because it cringes me out. But I did watch last night back because obviously it was a very emotional one from Sam. I couldn’t deal with it, it really made me cry.”
Followers were quick to show their support for Alice, with one person commenting, “It made me cry. You are both carrying yourselves beautifully and should be proud.” Another wrote: You’re such a selfless, caring person. Sam couldn’t have a better person by his side. God bless you both.”
Following the episode, the Instagram account for NHS Organ Donation said they hope the episode will offer ‘inspiration’ to other people.
If you’re struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch
Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com
READ MORE: Made In Chelsea’s Sam Vanderpump and Alice Yaxley expecting first baby