Anyone who tuned into the latest Made In Chelsea episode will still be reeling from the moment Sam Vanderpump, just 28, looked his friends in the eye and revealed the words no young person ever expects to hear—irreversible end-stage liver disease.
The scene left viewers in pieces, and even those who’ve followed the show for years said it was one of the rawest moments they’ve ever watched.
What made it all even more jarring was that Sam had only found out himself a few days before cameras rolled. For Ollie Locke, 38, the news hit like a punch to the chest.
He later admitted that watching his close friend explain something so terrifying left him shaken.
Sam’s fiancée, 24-year-old Alice Yaxley, who is also expecting their baby, is navigating it all right beside him.
Rallying Around a Friend Like Family
Speaking to the Daily Mail after the episode aired, Ollie didn’t try to sugar-coat anything.
“I think he’s all right… as all right as anyone could be,” he said carefully.
“It’s complicated. It’s hard. He’s only just beginning to absorb what this actually means.”
He and his husband Gareth have hardly left Sam and Alice’s side, popping round, sharing meals, and checking in constantly.
“He’s like a brother,” Ollie said, adding that the wave of people sharing their own medical experiences has actually given Sam a sense of comfort.
It’s become clear that Sam’s honesty is helping others as much as it’s helping him.
Thousands Step Up After Sam Speaks Out
What most people didn’t see behind the scenes is that the show’s upcoming episodes include a large fundraiser supporting organ donation.
Even before it airs, Sam’s story has already moved tens of thousands to sign up.
“If that ends up saving even one or two lives, then say whatever you want about reality TV,” Ollie said. “Moments like this genuinely matter.”
The Emotional Toll Behind the Cameras
For anyone thinking reality stars become numb to filming their private pain, Ollie quickly knocked that idea down.
He reminded fans that he’s come out on camera, grieved miscarriages on camera, even married on camera—but Sam’s situation tore him apart in a different way.
“I just kept thinking about him, about Alice, about the baby… and I broke down,” Ollie admitted.
“We’re all just trying to hold them up as best we can.
They’re literally around the corner from us. We’re having dinner tonight. It’s family now.”
Sam and Alice Share Their Side of the Scare
Sam, who runs a finance app and is the nephew of Lisa Vanderpump of Vanderpump Rules fame, offered a fuller picture during an appearance on This Morning.
He explained that doctors had first diagnosed him with congenital hepatic fibrosis when he was four years old. For most of his life, he was told things looked stable.
As recently as a year beforehand, he was still being reassured he was fine and should “live normally.”
Then everything changed.
Last year, a sudden bout of sepsis flipped his world upside down.
By December 2024, he and Alice thought he had a rough flu.
Instead, his organs were beginning to shut down—something they only learned once he was rushed to hospital.
The Terrifying Hours in Hospital
Sam recalled drinking a litre of water without being able to quench his thirst before collapsing into a two-day sleep.
Alice initially feared he’d taken too much codeine. But when she realised he wasn’t waking properly, she pushed for emergency help.
Doctors battled to stabilise him with the strongest antibiotics they had, flooding his system “like an industrial cleaner,” Sam said. Even then, it was touch-and-go.
“If I’d arrived 24 hours later, I wouldn’t be here,” he said quietly.
The Message That Changed Everything
Months later, a notification appeared on his NHS app—one that confirmed what everyone feared.
His latest scans showed irreversible end-stage liver disease. A transplant assessment would be his next step.
Sam admitted he was stunned. “I feel fine. I could go for a run today,” he told the doctor.
But he was quickly reminded that feeling fine doesn’t always mean being fine.
“The truth is,” Sam said, “if I wait four or five years without a transplant, my liver won’t recover.”
Staying Hopeful as the Road Ahead Unfolds
As terrifying as the situation is, Sam says one thing is keeping him calm: liver transplants are performed daily in the UK, with excellent long-term outcomes.
If he receives one in time, he’s been told he can expect a normal, healthy life.
For now, he and Alice are focusing on their baby, their family, and the people who’ve rallied around them.
A Note on Ollie’s New Project
Alongside supporting his friend, Ollie has joined iD Mobile for their Black Friday campaign, highlighting major savings on phones and SIM plans.
More info can be found through iD Mobile’s website.
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