‘Made in Chelsea’ Star Sam Vanderpump Gives Health Update While Waiting for a Liver Transplant: ‘You Want to Get Further Up the List, but You Don’t Want Your Health to Deteriorate’
Sam Vanderpump has opened up about his health after revealing that he has been living with end-stage liver disease. The Made in Chelsea star, who is Lisa Vanderpump’s nephew, appeared on Wednesday’s episode of Good Morning Britain to discuss his diagnosis, his time on the transplant waiting list, and why he is urging more people to become organ donors.
The 29-year-old reality star was first told by doctors that he would likely need a liver transplant within two years. Now, approximately a year after that initial conversation, Vanderpump says his health has not yet deteriorated, but he admits the fear of what comes next is never far from his mind.
“When I was first told that I needed a transplant, they said maybe within the next two years I’d have a transplant,” Vanderpump shared during the October 7 episode of the ITV morning programme. “I think we’re already a year down the line and, luckily, my health hasn’t deteriorated. But that is the fear.”
Vanderpump, who has dyed his hair pink to raise awareness about organ donation, also spoke candidly about the difficult emotional position he now finds himself in. While many people might assume that being placed higher on a transplant waiting list would be good news, the reality is more complicated. The only way for Vanderpump to move up the list is if his own health condition becomes more serious, something he is obviously trying to avoid.
He explained that this puts patients like him in a strange and often frustrating situation.
“It’s kind of like you’re caught between a rock and a hard place,” he said. “You want to get further up the list, but you don’t want your health to deteriorate.”
That tension, he continued, is why the real solution to the transplant crisis is not simply faster waiting lists, but more organ donors. Vanderpump stressed that thousands of people in the UK are currently waiting for a life-saving organ, and he believes many more people could step forward if they understood how vital donation is.
“The best solution would be for everyone to register and make the decision to become organ donors,” he said, “and we don’t actually have to have 8,000 people waiting for organs on the transplant list.”
Vanderpump first revealed his diagnosis in October 2025, during a conversation with his Made in Chelsea costar Ollie Locke. At the time, he told viewers that he had been diagnosed with “end-stage liver disease,” a serious condition in which the liver is no longer able to function properly, and that without a vital organ transplant he could die within the next four to five years.
Even then, however, he was determined to remain optimistic.
“The way I look at it, I’m healthy now,” he said at the time. “Hopefully I remain healthy all the way up until one day [when] they’ll give me a call, and I’ll go in for a surgery. And then I wake up, and I’ll be healthier.”
Since making his diagnosis public, Vanderpump has received an outpouring of support from fans and followers. Many have taken to social media to send him messages of encouragement. Some have gone even further and offered to donate part of their own liver in an attempt to help him.
But Vanderpump was keen to explain that there is a proper process for living organ donation, and that he is not able to personally arrange or coordinate offers from members of the public. Instead, anyone who is genuinely interested in becoming a living donor would need to contact the hospital directly and undergo the relevant medical and assessment procedures.
“There have been lots and lots of messages online, but there’s a certain procedure, which I’m not meant to filter that procedure myself,” he explained on Good Morning Britain. “If someone were interested in being a live donor for me, they would have to contact the hospital, King’s College Hospital, and go through that route themself.”
His message was clear: while he is deeply grateful for the support he has received, the most constructive way for people to help is to go through the official channels. For those wishing to donate after death, registering as an organ donor is a simple and potentially life-saving action. For those considering living donation, hospitals like King’s College Hospital can provide information about the process, the risks involved, and whether someone is a suitable candidate.
Vanderpump’s health battle has unfolded alongside several major events in his personal life. On the same October 2025 episode of Made in Chelsea in which he disclosed his diagnosis, his famous aunt Lisa Vanderpump also appeared as Sam announced that he and his partner, Alice Yaxley, were expecting a baby.
The couple’s journey moved quickly after that. Sam and Alice got married in December 2025, and just two months later, they welcomed their son, Duke. Becoming a father has clearly added an even deeper emotional weight to Vanderpump’s fight for his health, as he hopes to remain well not only for himself but for his young family.
Sam joined the cast of Made in Chelsea in season 27, which first aired in 2024. The reality series, known for following the lives of young, affluent Londoners, has been a major platform for him. Coming from the Vanderpump family, with Lisa Vanderpump as his aunt, Sam was already connected to the world of reality television. Lisa, of course, is best known for her appearances on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and her role in Vanderpump Rules, as well as her successful restaurant empire.
But Sam’s own story has now taken on a much more serious dimension. By speaking publicly about his diagnosis, his time on the waiting list, and his hopes for the future, he is hoping to make a difference for others in similar situations. His decision to dye his hair pink was not just a personal style choice, but a deliberate attempt to draw attention to organ donation awareness. It has become a conversation starter, enabling him to talk openly about a topic that many people might otherwise avoid.
The reality star’s latest appearance on Good Morning Britain was another opportunity to reinforce that message. While there was no announcement that a donor had been found, Vanderpump used his time on the show to highlight the ongoing need for people to register their organ donation wishes. He also made it clear that, despite the fear and uncertainty, he is still clinging to hope.
That hope is rooted in the idea that one day he will receive the phone call telling him that a match has been found. He has said before that he pictures that day clearly: going into surgery, waking up, and beginning a new chapter of his life with renewed health. It is that vision that keeps him focused.
For now, Vanderpump remains in a waiting game that requires both patience and strength. He is trying to stay healthy, keep his family close, and use his platform to encourage others to consider organ donation. He acknowledged on Good Morning Britain that the current system leaves patients in a difficult position. No one wants to become sicker simply to receive surgery sooner. At the same time, the longer the wait, the more dangerous the situation can become.
That is why, for Vanderpump, the best possible outcome would be a future in which organ donation is so common that waiting lists become much shorter. The idea that thousands of people are currently waiting for organs is something he believes should not be accepted as normal. If more people registered and made their wishes known, he said, fewer families would have to wait in fear.
As he continues his own journey, Sam Vanderpump remains determined to stay positive. He has a wife, a young son, and a future he very much wants to be part of. He also has a public platform that allows him to remind people that organ donation saves lives. For anyone inspired by his story, his message is straightforward: register your decision, share it with your family, and if you are considering living donation, contact the hospital and go through the proper process.
It is not always an easy message to hear. Waiting for a transplant is a deeply stressful experience, made even harder by the knowledge that you may not move up the list unless your condition becomes more urgent. But Vanderpump has handled that reality with remarkable grace. He is honest about his fears, yet he continues to look forward to the day when he can wake up from surgery and begin to feel healthier.
In his own words, he is healthy now, and he hopes to remain healthy until that call arrives. Until then, he will keep raising awareness, keep advocating for organ donation, and keep fighting for the chance to watch his son grow up.
