When the name 'Vanderpump' first appeared on Made in Chelsea last year, fans had one question: Is he related to Lisa? Of course, we know by now the answer is yes, Sam Vanderpump is the nephew of Bravo stalwart Lisa Vanderpump, famed for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Vanderpump Rules and Vanderpump Villa.
Sam has referenced his famous relative in conversation many times throughout the show (who can blame him?), but they are finally coming together in the reality TV metaverse for series 30 of Made in Chelsea as Lisa makes a cameo appearance.
Last series, we saw Sam propose to his girlfriend Alice Yaxley after six months of dating. After contracting life-threatening Sepsis over Christmas and 'nearly dying', Alice was there to support him and Sam decided she was the person he wanted to marry. Their whirlwind romance and engagement was a major storyline last series, with the Chelsea camp divided about whether it was 'too soon'. It's possible, then, that Lisa's cameo will be a meet and greet with Alice, or that she might be involved in planning the wedding.
Lisa is the only sibling of Sam's late father Mark, a DJ and businessman, who took his life in 2018. 'I know my brother well enough to know my brother didn’t mean to do this,' Lisa told audiences on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. 'It was a cry for help that went horribly wrong. There’s a lot of people who say taking a life is selfish, [but] I’ve never felt that.' Mark reportedly struggled with drug and alcohol abuse and drug toxicity was his determined cause of death. He was also reportedly struggling with debt at the time of his death.
'My brother was kind of my partner in crime growing up, but we did use to torture each other all the time. Whatever happened, it was just the two of us,' she said. 'I’m a strong woman. I can cope. But I was never prepared for this. And it’s been very difficult. Very difficult.' Her husband, Ken Todd revealed it was Mark who introduced them. 'I think you’ll always grieve for the rest of your life. I can’t ever bring him back.'
Understandably, Lisa has remained incredibly close with Mark's children, Sam and his older brother Jack, so it makes sense that she would support Sam by appearing on the E4 show. 'Lisa has been extremely supportive for the whole thing, she only ever wants what’s best for me,' the reality star said when he first joined. 'I'm very fortunate to have someone help me navigate this who has many years of experience on TV. She's given me great advice.'
Samaritans is available round the clock, every single day of the year, providing a safe place for anyone who is struggling to cope. Please call 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org to find details of your nearest branch.
Nikki Peach is a writer at Grazia UK, working across entertainment, TV and news. She has also written for the i, i-D and the New Statesman Media Group and covers all things pop culture for Grazia (treating high and lowbrow with equal respect).