One of the newest stars to join this season of Made In Chelsea is Sam Vanderpump – and yes, we mean of the Vanderpump family.
Although Sam may be a newbie to MIC, he’s already got some impressive links to reality TV royalty - calling none other than The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and all round Bravo legend Lisa Vanderpump his aunt.
And it turns out, Sam's stint on the show has been a long time coming.
Admitting to Grazia that he was approached twice before to join the cast, Sam says, ‘They actually asked me back when I was very young, when I was 21, and then again when I was around 24. The timings were never right for me. One time I was in a relationship, and the other time my businesses weren’t established.’
‘Then we spoke again late last year, and I was like, I’m single, timing is right, my business is doing well. Why not join the show?'
And Sam wasted no time throwing himself into a reality TV lifestyle, throwing a huge party in the countryside and later landing himself in the heart of the drama in Mauritius when he stole Tristan Phipps' girl Julia Pollard aka Muffin.
Want to know more about Sam Vanderpump – including his impressive job, and what his famous aunt makes of his new TV stint? We’ve got the answers.
Who is Sam Vanderpump?
Know to his pals as ‘Vanders,’ the businessman joined the show as one of the fresh faces for season 27.
Describing himself as ‘extremely extroverted’ and ‘loud,’ Sam says, ‘I love having a good time, and I definitely won’t take shit.’
At first things started off pretty smoothly and Sam seemed to be getting on with everyone, but once we were a few episodes in, the drama well and truly kicked off.
How old is Sam Vanderpump?
Sam was born on 8 March, 1997, making him currently 27 years old (and a creative and compassionate Pisces).
Where is Sam Vanderpump from?
Born in Camden, London, Sam currently lives in Fulham although it seems that the star lives a pretty fast-paced life, with his social media showing him relaxing in Dubai, visiting his aunt Lisa in Los Angeles, and of course joining the rest of the MIC cast on a holiday to Mauritius - where he stirred up plenty of trouble.
What is Sam Vanderpump's net worth?
Whilst Sam's net worth hasn't been made public, if he's worth just a tenth of his aunt Lisa - worth a reported £57million - then he's a very rich man!
Who are Sam Vanderpump's parents?
Sam is the youngest son of Mark and Simone Vanderpump, with one older brother named Jack.
Lisa Vanderpump's older brother Mark was a businessman and DJ, who sadly died in October 2018 aged 59. An inquest into his death ruled it as suicide, with drug toxicity determined as the cause of death.
Lisa has always been adamant Mark's death was accidental, revealing on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, 'I know my brother well enough to know my brother didn’t mean to do this. It was a cry for help that went horribly wrong.'
During a season premiere three months after Mark's death, Lisa shared, 'It’s still so fresh. 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.
'I’m a strong woman. I can cope. But I was never prepared for this. And it’s been very difficult. Very difficult.'
Sam's mum Simone previously worked as Prince Andrew's private chef - something Sam said she didn't want to 'sing from the rooftops'. He recalled, 'My dad went on to own a DJ agency – but in his mid-twenties was installing sound equipment in homes and was installing it at Prince Andrew’s place. The royal dog bit my dad and my mum had to bandage him up. They went out for dinner and I think they were engaged within a few months.'
How is Sam Vanderpump related to Lisa Vanderpump?
Sam is the nephew of reality TV legend Lisa Vanderpump, who first rose to fame back in 2010 as an OG housewife on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Lisa stepped away from the show in 2019, telling fans, ‘It was a very difficult year for me, personally and professionally.’ The announcement came the year after the death of her brother, Sam’s dad Mark.
Since then, she's gone on to build her own reality TV empire, heading up shows including Vanderpump Rules and Vanderpump Villa.
Cherishing his special relationship with Lisa, Sam tells us that his famous aunt has already shown her support for his new TV gig. He says, ‘Lisa was extremely supportive. She always just wants what is best for me.’
And having decades of reality experience under her belt, it’s no surprise Lisa had some words of wisdom to share with her nephew.
Sam says, 'The biggest tip Lisa gave me was to remain calm and collected. She said, “Always speak quietly, you don’t need to raise your voice to get your point across.” At times, I don’t keep myself that quiet – whoops!'
Has Sam Vanderpump been on reality TV before?
While MIC is Sam’s first solid TV gig, it’s not the first time he’s been on screen. Speaking to Grazia, he jokes, 'I’ve been in the background of my aunt’s filming before, speaking to her once upon a time for one of her shows. I don’t know whether that actually aired, I never found out! But I know there is a scene floating around somewhere.'
However, when asked whether Lisa could ever grace MIC with a surprise appearance_,_ Sam says, 'I mean, she's extremely busy with what she's doing. She’s got three shows in the pipeline, so who knows.'
Here's hoping!
What does Sam Vanderpump do for a living?
Sam used to be a racing kart driver professionally, having made his debut at the mere age of eight. After retiring from the sport, the star later chose not to go to university after finishing school, instead working in various family businesses.
Now, the self-described entrepreneur is the Managing Director of finance app Dapio, as well as the founder of brokerage firm Vanderpump FX. How very Chelsea!
Is Sam Vanderpump single?
Initially, Sam entered the show as one of MIC’s new singles – and he certainly didn't shy away from some onscreen romance.
After initially setting his sights on Jasmine Saunders, Sam eventually began dating her BFF Muffin - stealing her from Tristan after they came back from Mauritius. Unfortunately everything went awry in the last episode of series 27, with Sam and Muffin splitting up when Sam admitted that he wasn't actually ready for a relationship.
Which Made In Chelsea cast members is Sam Vanderpump friends with?
Sam might be a fresh face to the cast, but he certainly isn’t a newbie to SW3. He’s been long-time friends with Reza Amiri-Garroussi, as well as being ‘a regular feature of Tristan [Phipps] and Harvey [Armstrong’s] big nights out on the King’s Road.’
Revealing that he ‘always knew of the show,’ Sam says, ‘I’ve been friends with Reza since I was in my early 20s. From the moment I was even talking to producers, he was there. He's a very good, supportive friend.’
In fact, the pair recently headed on a trip to France together for a boxing event.
Sam adds, ‘I also knew Tristan and Harvey briefly before coming into the show – they’ve been around my house, and I’ve been to South Africa with them. Those friendships were there. But I was aware of the show, as everyone else is around the area who hangs out in that social circle. I knew people through face, at least.’
Will Sam and Tristan's friendship ever get back to what it used to be?
Does Sam Vanderpump have Instagram?
He does! You can follow his day-to-day life (including an abundance of lavish trips) over on @samvanderpump.
'Made in Chelsea' airs every Monday at 9pm on E4. Stream on Channel 4.
Charlotte Roberts is a News and Entertainment Writer for Grazia, writing interviews and features around everything pop culture.