Sam Vanderpump has revealed the agonising reality of waiting for a liver transplant: although he desperately needs a new liver, becoming more unwell could be what moves him higher on the transplant list.

The 29-year-old Made in Chelsea star and nephew of Lisa Vanderpump said he is still waiting for a transplant one year after being diagnosed with end-stage liver disease.

'Luckily my health hasn't deteriorated. But that is the fear,' Sam said during an appearance on Good Morning Britain. 'You want to get further up the list, but you don't want your health to deteriorate.'

His situation follows a series of serious health problems that began in late 2024.

Sam Vanderpump Nearly Died Before Learning He Needed a Transplant

Sam was born with congenital hepatic fibrosis, a rare condition in which abnormal fibrous tissue develops in the liver. He also has polycystic kidney disease, a genetic condition that can cause cysts to develop in the kidneys and affect other organs.

For much of his life, however, neither condition significantly affected him. That changed in December 2024, when he became seriously ill with flu.


The infection triggered sepsis and life-threatening liver and kidney failure. Sam later recalled being told that his body was shutting down and that he could have died had his fiancée Alice Yaxley not called an ambulance. He lost around 15kg during the ordeal and spent time in hospital before recovering enough to return home.

The experience was initially viewed as a terrifying but isolated medical crisis. Months later, Sam received another devastating shock: doctors told him that his liver would not recover and that he would ultimately need a transplant.

He previously said doctors warned that without a successful transplant, he might not survive beyond four or five years.

The diagnosis came as Sam was building a family life. He married Alice in December 2025, and the couple welcomed their first child, a son known as Duke, earlier this year.

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His Family Wanted to Donate a Liver

Sam's diagnosis also placed his family in an emotionally difficult position.

His mother offered to donate part of her liver, but Sam initially rejected the idea because he did not want to put her through the risks associated with living donation.

'Why would I want to subject a loved one to this disease?' he previously said.

He later learned more about the strict screening process for living donors and became more open to the possibility. His brother subsequently underwent testing to determine whether he could be a suitable donor.

Why Could Getting 'Sicker' Move Sam Up the Transplant List?

Sam's comments may sound contradictory, but liver transplantation is not simply based on who has been waiting the longest.

Patients are assessed according to the severity of their illness and other clinical factors. For liver transplants, factors including blood group, the severity of liver disease, how likely a patient is to benefit from a transplant and how long they have been on the waiting list can affect priority.

That leaves Sam in an uncomfortable position. He wants to remain as healthy as possible while waiting, but he also knows that deterioration could affect how urgently doctors consider his case.

He has therefore turned his experience into an organ-donation campaign. More than 8,700 people are currently waiting for an organ transplant in the UK, according to NHS Blood and Transplant figures.

What Is End-Stage Liver Disease?

End-stage liver disease is the final stage of severe, irreversible liver damage, when the organ can no longer function adequately. Depending on the cause and severity, complications can include fluid accumulation, bleeding, confusion caused by toxin build-up, and other forms of organ dysfunction.

For people whose liver can no longer support the body's needs, transplantation may offer the only potentially life-saving treatment.

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