Who is Ladies of London’s Mark-Francis Vandelli? From his sexuality to TV past

After nearly ten years off our screens, the Ladies of London are back, and they’ve got plenty of English Breakfast tea to spill. Except, this time around, not all of them are ladies: please welcome, Mark-Francis Vandelli.

On Wednesday (21 January), Bravo unveiled the cast of the upcoming fourth season of Ladies of London, which will arrive on 5 March, more than nine years after season three ended.  

The new season of the reality series, which typically follows a group of British women as they swan about their London lives navigating friends, family and business, will feature the largest ever main cast, with eight leads.

They are Missé Bequiri, Lottie Kane, Myka Meier, Kimi Murdoch, Martha Sitwell, Margo Stilley, Emma Thynn and, perhaps surprisingly, Mark-Francis Vandelli. It’s the first time the Bravo series has included a man on its leading cast.

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Of course, not everyone is thrilled about the prospect of a man joining a show predominantly about ladies and their glamorous London lives, but those fans are the uninitiated. Take a look through the bulk of the comments on social posts announcing Vandelli’s involvement, and you’ll see that he is likely to bring TV gold to Ladies of London. 

For those unaware, here’s everything you need to know about Mark-Francis Vandelli.

What is Mark-Francis Vandelli known for?

In the UK, Mark-Francis Vandelli is a well-known reality TV personality, best known as one of the original cast members on E4’s posho structured reality series, Made In Chelsea. 

He appeared in the very first season in 2011 and starred in almost 200 episodes before departing in 2022. During his lengthy stint on the series, he was best known for his cutting, caustic and often hilarious remarks. Some found him overly offensive, but to many, he’s a TV “legend” and one of the “best” stars to come from Made In Chelsea.

After gaining popularity through Made In Chelsea, Vandelli went on to appear in a number of reality and competition series in the UK, including celebrity winter sports show The Jump, which he ultimately withdrew from. He also appeared on Come Dine With Me, Celebs Go Dating, Celebs On The Ranch, and hosted his own night life series, Mark-Francis’ Big Night Out. 

What has Mark-Francis Vandelli said about his sexuality?

Ever since appearing on Made In Chelsea, Mark-Francis Vandelli has been the subject of rumours about his sexuality, despite the fact that he doesn’t identify as gay.

During his 2023 appearance on celebrity dating show Celebs Go Dating, Vandelli selected two possible dates to go on; one with a man, and one with a woman. During his time on the series, he said that he “doesn’t think [dating] is about gender anymore”.

He also opened up about his last long-term relationship, which was with a man for five years, saying that it ended because it was no longer working for either of them.

Vandelli, who has lived in a Knightsbridge town house once owned by gay writer Oscar Wilde, said on the series that he has never lived with a partner, and that his parents spent 40 years living apart while married, including during his childhood.

The reality star has previously opened up about attempting to keep his private life just that.

“The [Made In Chelsea] producers understood that I was not going to film certain things. It was a formula that worked. It’s actually the secret to my longevity – I don’t open up every aspect of my life and allow a certain amount of mystique and intrigue. It’s about preserving yourself,” he said.

“Made In Chelsea is a minute aspect of my life – it documents a very small aspect of who I am. I can be fun and light-hearted on it and it doesn’t weigh on me. I don’t like very awkward situations. I will keep that for off camera.'”

Ladies of London returns to Bravo for season four on 5 March.

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