They have been evicted from their £4million Chelsea home, are facing a £25,000 unpaid rent row and are said to be at risk of bankruptcy.
But now, in a move that is certain to raise eyebrows among their creditors, I can reveal that Made In Chelsea stars Ollie and Gareth Locke have been plotting a bold return to London’s elite social circuit – with a new nightclub venture in one of the capital’s most exclusive postcodes.
The problem? The man that Ollie has been name-dropping as his new business partner insists he knows absolutely nothing about it.
Ollie has been confidently telling contacts since as far back as October that he is preparing to open a nightclub in the West London enclave of Fulham, I can reveal.
‘I was at a party and bumped into Ollie very briefly,’ a source tells me. ‘But he was keen to tell me he is launching a new nightclub with Marc Burton.’
But embarrassingly, Ollie’s claims appear to unravel upon even the lightest scrutiny.
Because when I approached Marc – himself a nightclub impresario – about the supposed collaboration, his response was unequivocal.
‘We are not involved in this venture,’ he told me. ‘It is the first we have heard of it.’
Ollie Locke, pictured left with Gareth, has been talking for months about opening a new nightclub in West London
Marc Burton is one of London’s most recognisable figures on the nightlife scene
Ollie is now also denying Marc is a part of the project. While he declined to comment, a source close to Ollie says ‘he hasn’t spoken to Marc in months’.
Which is a shame, because Marc is no minor name on the London nightclub scene. The creative force behind Mayfair’s Mahiki and Whisky Mist, he now fronts The Rex Rooms – the latest incarnation of the iconic King’s Road address known simply as 151, which has been a favourite haunt of Ollie’s Made In Chelsea co-stars.
Whatever the truth of Marc’s involvement, Ollie’s ambition is all the more striking given his dire financial straits.
As my source adds, it is all ‘rather audacious’ that Ollie has been plotting such a fancy new role in his life while he has left his landlord out of pocket.
‘You’d have thought if someone really wanted to make amends, they’d be stacking shelves to pay money back, instead he wanted to be a flashy nightclub owner.’
As the Daily Mail previously revealed, the couple were evicted from their rented £4million Chelsea townhouse in February after failing to pay three months’ rent – leaving a £25,000 debt that remains outstanding.
The four-bedroom, four-bathroom property, just off the King’s Road, had frequently featured in their television appearances – including scenes in Made In Chelsea and its spin-off Beyond Chelsea, filmed last summer. Cast members are understood to have earned upwards of £250 per episode.
Ollie, 39, and husband Gareth, 37, lived at the property with their two-year-old twins – Apollo Magnus Obi and Cosima Emily Bex – who were born in July 2023 via a surrogate.
Gareth and Ollie have been evicted from their home and are said be at risk of bankruptcy
In recent weeks, the couple are rumoured to have moved into another high-priced rental property, though details remain unclear – a development likely to raise further questions given the scale of their outstanding debt.
Indeed, those who know Ollie and Gareth appear to be giggling at their plight, and there is even chatter that they might be rescued by Ollie’s mother Sarah who owns several properties.
‘Ollie and Gareth have struggled to meet their monthly rent payments for almost a year,’ a source told the Daily Mail. ‘They live in a very affluent area of London, just a stone’s throw from the King’s Road, yet have been enjoying the high life, going on Caribbean holidays and dining at places like Scott’s, where prices can be extortionate.’
A source added: ‘They have failed to pay three months’ rent and were warned multiple times about breaching their contract, with a deadline of January 30 to settle their outstanding payments.’
To make matters worse, the couple lived with a tenant whose rent was paid directly to them, only to later discover the money had not been passed on to the landlord.
Her rent, she believes, was used to ‘finance’ Ollie and Gareth’s ‘luxury lifestyle,’ and despite keeping up with her payments, she has also been left facing the fallout.
There are also questions over Ollie’s recent business dealings.
His company, The Chelsea Pub Co, was dissolved last month, which will do little to reassure any prospective collaborators.
Taken together, the contrast is stark. On one hand, Ollie is openly boasting about launching a high-end nightclub – no doubt complete with VIP tables, flowing champagne and celebrity clientele – in one of London’s most competitive areas. On the other, he has mounting debts, and a supposed business partner who says he has never heard of the glossy new venture.
It is surely disheartening for Ollie, who has long enjoyed London’s party scene – if his storylines on the Channel 4 show are anything to go by. But it seems he’s destined to stay the wrong side of the bar as a paying punter, rather than as an impresario with a nightclub to his name.
If he is to realise his dream, neither his bank manager nor Marc Burton have yet to get the memo.