EXCLUSIVE: Made In Chelsea star Ollie Locke has opened up about the ‘heavenly’ experience of fatherhood with twins Cosima and Apollo, and his close friendship with co-star Sam Vanderpump who is battling end-stage liver disease
Life has changed dramatically for Ollie Locke and his husband Gareth since they became parents to twins in July 2023. From the early newborn chaos to the sweetest toddler milestones, Made In Chelsea star Ollie says that every stage has felt “heavenly”.
“Cosima’s more empathetic,” he laughs warmly, as he describes the fast-growing personality of his daughter. “Apollo will bounce off sofas giggling, slam doors… he’s obsessed with doors. Whereas she’ll slide elegantly down the sofa.” The couple welcomed their children after a long and emotional journey, and the reality of parenting has been, as 38-year-old Ollie puts it, “very hands-on”.
“Right now, with twins, you have to plan things quite strategically,” he explains. “We’re always together – neither of us works in an office, so when we work we do it together. It’s a real partnership.”
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One thing that’s surprised Ollie is just how deeply the twins have shaped their daily rhythm. “A friend said to me, ‘You’re no longer the lead character in your own book and you never will be again.’ And it’s true,” he smiles. “If someone texts at 3pm for a beer, I can maybe have a non-alcoholic one for half an hour before bath time!”
But the highs clearly outweigh any logistical challenges. Watching the twins reach their “firsts” has been magical, Ollie admits, even when it comes at its own pace. Their daughter is slightly delayed in speech, but he lights up describing her efforts to learn.
“She says, ‘What’s that?’ and I say ‘A tree’ and she says, ‘What?’ You think, where do I go with this? But next year will be beautiful when she can talk back about what she’s interested in.”
Happily, he and Gareth, who turns 37 this week, have found strength in their shared approach to parenting. “Everything we do, we do together,” Ollie says. “It’ll be easier when they’re a bit older, when you can chat with them and ask how they are. But right now, we’re in it and we’re loving it.”
Despite the demands of fatherhood, Ollie hasn’t stepped back from the show that made him a household name. An incredible 15 years after joining Made In Chelsea, he remains one of its most recognisable faces – though he insists it’s the friendships, rather than the glamour, that keep him coming back.
“Every time I want to leave, I become friends with someone else,” he laughs. “It’s addictive. At the moment it works for me. I don’t need to do an awful lot. I’m not knee-deep in the drama. I do the bits I want to do, and it’s enjoyable.”
And fans have even more to look forward to next year, as Ollie returns for Beyond Chelsea, the much-anticipated spin-off featuring Ollie, Binky Felstead, Lucy Watson, Rosie Fortescue and others.
“It’s a different way of filming – quicker, hand-held, really fun and organic,” he explains. “Doing it with Binky is amazing – she’s one of my best friends. I’m the only person that knows how to ‘work’ Binky on TV and push her to the absolute limit. It shows in the next few episodes!”
Another cast member Ollie has become extremely close to is Sam Vanderpump. Recent months have proved heartbreakingly difficult for Sam. Sam has end-stage liver disease and previously suffered from near-fatal sepsis triggered by an underlying genetic condition.
“We’ve gone through an awful lot,” admits Ollie. “No one could have missed the Sam liver situation in the press. It’s been very difficult – something really serious, emotional, life-threatening.”
He says the support he and Gareth offer is constant. “I speak to him every day – I’m having dinner with Sam and Alice [Yaxley, Sam’s fiancée] tonight,” Ollie reveals. “He’s become like a little brother to me and Gareth.
“They’re about to have a baby, and when you first have a baby you have no idea what to do. So, we’re teaching him what things you actually need and what you don’t. It brings back lovely memories, actually.” Beyond the close friendships he’s forged on Made In Chelsea, Ollie says he has long used the show as a way to express himself.
“I use it as therapy,” he explains. “I haven’t watched the show since series two – 14 years ago. I watched my wedding, but that’s it. I can let everything out and talk to my friends. Twitter used to tell me if they didn’t like something anyway!”
And acting continues to be a quiet passion for Ollie, although becoming a parent has changed how he approaches roles. “I trained to be an actor,” he explains. “A film wanted me in Malta for six weeks last summer but I couldn’t do it – I’d cry every day being away from my kids.”
He’s keen to take on a “more sinister” role in future, he says. “I always get asked to play funny or camp roles or the gay best friend. I’d love to show what I trained to do.”
For now, he picks work that truly feels right. “It has to have heart, meaning, fun – maybe something philanthropic. Something that resonates with the people who follow me.” Sometimes this means heartfelt projects, and sometimes it means leaning fully into comedy – like his recent short film with iD Mobile.
The campaign taps into something he finds universally relatable. “It’s naughty, cheeky, doesn’t take itself too seriously – and shows that everyone loves a bargain,” he says. And with a grin, he adds the final verdict only Ollie could deliver, “Who doesn’t want to save £200 on SIM and a mobile phone set?!”
Source: Mirror
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