Made In Chelsea’s Sam and Alice Vanderpump welcome first child as they reveal baby boy’s unusual name – months after TV star was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease

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Sam Vanderpump and his wife Alice have welcomed their first child. 

Made In Chelsea’s Jamie Laing and his partner Sophie Habboo revealed to Hello! magazine on Wednesday that they’ve named their son Marmaduke, but will be calling him Duke for short.

Marmaduke was a favourite name of Sam’s late father, Mark, who died in 2018 at the age of 59.

Alice had her baby at the Kensington Wing of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on February 9th.

Sam and Alice married in an intimate ceremony at Chelsea Registry Office just before Christmas. 

The wedding followed a very challenging time. In late 2024, he became severely ill with the flu, which led to sepsis and ultimately caused his liver and kidneys to fail.

The TV star was later found to have severe, permanent liver damage and is currently waiting for a liver transplant.

Even though the future was unclear, Sam and Alice decided to focus on their love for each other and get married while Sam was feeling healthy, before their son was born.

In a recent interview, while sharing photos from their wedding, Sam revealed that he’d been deeply affected by the difficulties of the past year.

He shared with HELLO! Magazine that he’d been feeling emotionally vulnerable in the weeks before his wedding due to health concerns, but he’s been incredibly happy lately.

The wedding was arranged within four weeks and was followed by a dinner at The Lanesborough.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m always thrilled when couples prioritize what feels right for them, and this couple really did! They kept things beautifully simple – they actually chose Alice’s wedding dress together, which I love, and decided to skip things like a first dance or long speeches. It was all about creating a day that reflected them, and that’s what truly matters.

The newlyweds plan to host a larger celebration in May 2027, after welcoming their son. 

Sam proposed to Alice in March, not long after a serious health scare. He’d been hospitalized in January with liver and kidney problems that led to a life-threatening infection.

He was born with two uncommon medical conditions affecting his liver and kidneys, but they didn’t cause problems until last December, when his organs started to fail.

On the ‘We Need To Talk’ podcast with Paul C Brunson, Sam shared that he found out what was really causing his health issues shortly after Alice revealed she was pregnant.

The actor openly shared that he worried he wouldn’t live long enough to meet his son, after learning he urgently needed a liver transplant.

Sam, who lost his father seven years ago, shared that his first thought was always for his future child. He explained, ‘It makes me really sad to think my dad will never get to meet his grandchild.’

‘To now start having that thing dawned on you. Am I going to see my child? That’s terrifying.’ 

Lisa, 65, is known for appearing on both The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and her own show, Vanderpump Rules. She’s the sister of Sam’s father, Mark Vanderpump, who is a businessman and DJ.

Sam and Alice are thrilled to be expecting a baby boy in September, with a due date of Valentine’s Day. They’ve already chosen a name for him that is very meaningful to their family.

Sam shared that they’ve named their new pet Marmaduke. He explained that his father had always wanted to call his brother ‘Duke,’ jokingly predicting he’d one day be Prime Minister – ‘Duke Vanderpump’ – and they’re honoring that memory with the name.

I adored the name, but my mum wasn’t a fan. Because of that, my brother ended up being named Jack. Dad cleverly got his way in the end, though, by giving Jack the middle name Daniels.

We absolutely love the name Marmaduke, so we’ve nicknamed him Duke. We were already leaning towards it after seeing a funny scene in Downton Abbey where Maggie Smith and her daughter talked about a character named Marmaduke – that sealed the deal!

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2026-02-11 15:49