Made in Chelsea star Sam Vanderpump and his fiancée Alice Yaxley are expecting their first child, the couple revealed, saying they are four months pregnant and will have a boy they plan to name Marmaduke, to be called "Duke".
The pair, who announced their engagement in March, said they filmed scenes of the pregnancy reveal for the new series of the E4 reality show and told their families before informing friends on set. Alice, 24, who has polycystic ovaries, described the pregnancy as a surprise and said the couple decided to learn the baby's sex early through a blood test so they would not face further unexpected developments.
Alice said she discovered the pregnancy after missing a period and taking a test she did not expect to be positive. "It was definitely a surprise. I had missed a period, but I have polycystic ovaries, so it wasn't a shock to have missed a period," she said. "But I did a test to be safe, and I wasn't expecting anything, but it was positive. It was a big shock, we looked at each other and thought, wow, this is big but everything else in our lives was so right."
Sam, 28, said the couple had chosen the name Marmaduke in part as an homage to family tradition and would call their son Duke. He said the name had been a preference of his late father, Mark Vanderpump, who died in 2018, and that a Downton Abbey scene helped inspire the choice. "We have a name, it's Marmaduke," Sam said. "My dad is no longer with us, but he always wanted to call my brother 'Duke'... I think Marmaduke is fantastic, and we'll call him Duke for short."
The couple described a warm family reaction. They said Alice's father was particularly enthusiastic and that Sam's mother had been "dying to be a grandmother." Sam spoke of his aunt, television personality Lisa Vanderpump, saying she had been "amazing" since his father's death and had grown close to Alice. Sam said Lisa had invited Alice to stay with her in Las Vegas and Los Angeles and that she had nicknamed her "Ally." He added that Lisa wants to attend their first wedding, planned for later this year, though the couple intends to hold a larger celebration in 2027.
Sam and Alice met in July 2024 and became engaged eight months later. They said filming the new series of Made in Chelsea has been emotional and includes scenes of the pregnancy announcement to their castmates; the couple said they hope to continue sharing aspects of the pregnancy on the show but that Alice does not plan to give birth on camera.
Alice described significant morning sickness during the first trimester and said she had been unable to work for three months before finding medication that helped. "I have been suffering with very bad morning sickness, I haven't been able to keep food down but luckily, have found a tablet that has really helped me," she said. Sam said he had been caring for her during the illness, cooking and making sure she ate.
The couple also said they are preparing to move to a larger apartment in Chelsea, remaining in the same affluent London neighbourhood. Sam described plans for two wedding events: a smaller, low-key ceremony potentially by the end of the year so Alice would carry his surname before the baby's birth, and a larger UK celebration around 2027 with nearly 200 guests.
Sam's recent recovery from a serious illness this year added further personal context to the announcement. In January, he said he was "lucky to be alive" after liver and kidney failure led to life-threatening sepsis; he has since made a recovery and said the experience drew him and Alice closer.
On their public profile, the couple noted differences between their early reception on the reality show and their current experience. Alice said her first time on Made in Chelsea involved difficult moments and that she initially struggled to connect with some cast members. She said the new series shows "a lot of raw scenes" and portrays the pair as "very wholesome." Sam said they aim to be authentic on the programme and acknowledged that participating in reality television means sharing much of their private lives.
The couple said that, despite the pregnancy being a surprise, the news has brought relief to Alice given her history with polycystic ovaries. "I thought there's a chance in the future that maybe I wouldn't be able to have children so in a way it was a relief too because this shows that I can," she said. The pair declined to say whether they will share further medical details publicly but confirmed the baby's sex, name and their immediate plans.
Made in Chelsea continues to document the personal lives of its cast when it returns for the new season, and Sam and Alice's announcement will be among the storylines shown when episodes air.