If you watched Made in Chelsea back in the day, or even now, you’ll know Ollie Locke. The bloke with the glossy hair who’s been pretty much everywhere on British telly for the past fourteen years. But here’s the thing. So much has gone on with him in recent times, and I’m not only referring to the standard drama at Chelsea.
I recall first seeing him on Made in Chelsea when it first launched in 2011. He was one of the originals, you know? Fast with a quip, never too big for his boots, and somehow made being so posh rather endearing. Not always easy on that show.
The Baby Journey That Actually Happened
So the biggest news about Ollie Locke recently isn’t about Made in Chelsea at all. It’s about him becoming a dad. And not just any dad story, this one’s been proper emotional.
Ollie Locke’s husband, Gareth (they both kept the surname Locke, so they’re the Locke-Lockes, which is either brilliant or confusing depending on who you ask), and Ollie have been trying to have kids for years. Three years, actually. By surrogacy, which is neither cheap nor easy.
They had three miscarriages before it stuck. Three. Can you imagine? Every time you think that’s it, and then it doesn’t happen. Ollie Locke’s children, Apollo Magnus Obi and Cosima Emily Bex, were born in July 2023, arriving seven weeks early at 31 weeks. The twins spent a substantial amount of time in neonatal intensive care before coming home.
The names are brilliant, though. Apollo’s middle name, Magnus, is after Gareth’s mum, Margaret (Magnus is the male version, apparently). Cosima’s middle names honour Emily Hartridge, a YouTuber mate of Ollie’s who died in 2019, and Bex Ward, their surrogate. That’s proper thoughtful, that is.
The Mental Health Stuff He’s Actually Doing
Here’s something I only found out recently. Ollie’s been running these lunches with his Made in Chelsea mates. They call them “Bollinger Boys” lunches, which sounds dead posh but is actually quite sound. Every two weeks, the lads get together and just talk. Properly talk about what’s going on in their lives, mental health, struggles, whatever.
Note: “End-stage liver disease (often cirrhosis) means the liver is severely damaged and can no longer function properly. It often requires a transplant and causes complications such as ascites, jaundice, and encephalopathy.” According to the British Liver Trust
He mentioned in an interview last month that it’s basically therapy without calling it therapy. Which is smart because blokes in Britain still aren’t great at admitting they need help. We’re all meant to have this stiff upper lip thing going on, right? He’s trying to change that.
The stats are grim. Suicide’s the biggest killer of men under 40 in the UK. Ollie’s dead aware of this, and he’s actually doing something about it. Not just talking about it on social media for likes, but creating actual spaces where his mates can be honest about feeling rubbish.
What About Sam Vanderpump, Though
This bit’s tough. One of Ollie’s close mates from the show, Sam Vanderpump (nephew of Lisa Vanderpump from Vanderpump Rules), was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease. Properly serious stuff. Sam’s only 28.
They filmed Sam telling Ollie and another mate, Tabitha Willett, back in November. Ollie cried on camera, which isn’t something you see much on reality telly. Real tears, not the dramatic kind. He told the Daily Mail afterwards that Sam’s getting his head around everything, that a liver transplant’s a big deal, but he’s staying positive.
The thing is, Sam’s fiancée, Alice, is pregnant. So Sam’s dealing with this massive health crisis whilst trying to prepare to be a dad. Ollie and Gareth have been helping them out loads, apparently. They live around the corner from each other, and Ollie’s been giving them advice about babies and stuff.
The Money Question Everyone Wants Answered
Alright, let’s talk about Ollie Locke net worth because everyone always wants to know. The estimates vary quite a bit, honestly. Some sources say around £6 million; others reckon closer to £8 million. One American site claimed $10 million, which is about £8 million anyway.
Note: Net worth figures are estimates based on public data and may vary.
Where’s it come from? Well, Made in Chelsea doesn’t pay what you’d think. Reality TV in the UK isn’t like America. But Ollie’s done loads of other stuff. He wrote a book called Laid in Chelsea back in 2013, which sold really well. Spent eight weeks as a Sunday Times bestseller, actually.
He came third on Celebrity Big Brother in 2014. Played acting bits here and there, including in a film called Greed with Steve Coogan. And here’s a big one: he was the co-founder of the gay dating app Chappy in 2016. That sold for around £1 million.
So yeah, he’s done well for himself. Not mega-rich like some of his Chelsea mates, who have family money, but comfortable. Ollie Locke’s mum, Sarah, was a BBC Radio Solent DJ, and his dad, John’s a background that is a bit more private; however, they weren’t minted like some Chelsea families.
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Ollie Locke Ethnicity and Background
Quick bit on this because people ask. Ollie Locke ethnicity is British-Germanic-Dutch, apparently. His dad’s got quite olive skin in photos I’ve seen. Although you would not guess it, Ollie Locke was raised not in Chelsea but in Southampton by his parents, John and Sarah, along with a sister, Amelia. He attended boarding school at Embley Park School in Romsey, where he bunked with Alfie Allen (the actor from Game of Thrones).
So he’s not from money money, you know? Worked as a doorman at Raffles nightclub before Made in Chelsea happened. Which makes his success feel a bit more earned than some of the trust fund kids on that show.
What He’s Up To Now
Ollie Locke, at present, is juggling life as a dad to two-year-old twins while still doing telly work. He’s plotting his return in 2026 with a Made in Chelsea spinoff series, “Beyond Chelsea.” This makes sense because the cast members are all getting older, having children, and cannot create the same level of drama as they did when they were 24.
He and Gareth have a YouTube series called “Our Daddy Diaries,” where they show what parenting’s actually like. Not the Instagram-perfect version, but the real knackered, don’t-know-what-we’re-doing version. Which is refreshing.
Ollie Locke’s Instagram (he goes by @ollielockeworld) has over 550,000 followers. He posts about the twins loads, maybe a bit too much according to some people, but that’s his choice, innit?
The Surrogacy Conversation
One thing Ollie’s been open about is the whole surrogacy process. It cost them a fortune, took three years, involved multiple countries (Mexico and Cyprus for some attempts), and three heartbreaking miscarriages. Their surrogate, Bex, reached out to them on Instagram after watching their journey on the show. Which is quite mad when you think about it.
The whole thing’s controversial. Some people reckon surrogacy’s exploitative, renting women’s bodies and all that. Gareth got a bit of stick when he commented on the Pope having opinions about surrogacy. Others think it’s a beautiful thing, helping people who can’t have kids any other way.
Ollie and Gareth have been dead upfront about the struggles, though. The money, the waiting, the losses. Not glamorising it. Just being honest that it’s really hard.
So What’s the Takeaway?
Look, Ollie’s had his moments over the years. He’s been on reality telly for fourteen years; there’s bound to be cringey bits. But lately? He’s actually doing some good stuff. Supporting his mates through horrible health news, being open about men’s mental health, and showing what surrogacy and gay parenting actually look like.
Is he perfect? Course not. Does he monetise his kids a bit much? Probably. But he’s genuine about the hard stuff, which counts for something. And in a world of reality stars who’ll do anything for engagement, that’s nothing.
The bloke from Southampton who worked nightclub doors is now a dad with a few million quid, still on telly, and using his platform to talk about stuff that matters. Could be worse, really.
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Citations
“Apollo Magnus Obi and Cosima Emily Bex were born in July 2023, arriving seven weeks early at 31 weeks”.
NHS (Cirrhosis & Suicide Prevention): Suicide remains a leading cause of death among men under 40 in the UK
ONS (Office for National Statistics): Confirms suicide rates are highest among men aged 35–49
“The couple endured three miscarriages and spent hundreds of thousands on IVF treatments across the UK, Mexico, and Cyprus”.
“Ollie Locke’s net worth is estimated between £6–8 million, with some US sites citing $10 million”.
“Suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under 40 in the UK”.
“Sam Vanderpump revealed on Made in Chelsea that he has end-stage liver disease and is awaiting a transplant
