Tristan Phipps has built a public career that looks very different from the usual reality-television route. Long before viewers knew him from Made in Chelsea, he was living and working in Southern Africa, training as a walking safari guide and leading clients through the wilderness on foot. That background has remained central to his identity as his profile expanded into television, travel content, business and conservation.
By 2026, Phipps is still part of the Made in Chelsea world, but reality TV is only one strand of his work. He is also involved with wildlife charities, hosts expeditions, creates nature content and serves as a director of the houseplant business Bellr.
Quick Bio
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Tristan Phipps |
| Profession | Reality TV personality, wildlife presenter, former safari guide, conservation advocate |
| Nationality | British |
| Known For | Made in Chelsea |
| TV Debut | Joined Made in Chelsea in 2018 |
| Other TV Shows | The Challenge: UK, The Challenge: World Championship |
| Safari Background | Spent around four years working as a safari guide in Southern Africa |
| Business | Director of houseplant brand Bellr |
| Partner | Julia “Jules” Pollard |
| Former Partner | Olivia Bentley |
| Interests | Wildlife, conservation, travel, fitness and adventure |
| Age | 31 in September 2026 based on Companies House records |
| Notable Achievement | Winner of The Challenge: UK in 2023 |
The Wilderness Career That Came Before Chelsea
Phipps’ connection with wildlife is not a television invention. His own website and conservation organisations describe a career that began in Southern Africa, where he trained as a walking big-game trails guide. He spent more than six months living in the African bush before qualifying as a registered walking safari guide.
After qualifying, he spent roughly four years working across Southern Africa. His role involved taking clients into wilderness areas on foot, sometimes for trips lasting several days. Tusk says he spent four years as a safari guide in Kruger National Park, while the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust describes his work more broadly across Southern Africa.
The experience explains why his image has never fitted neatly into the standard Made in Chelsea mould. London social life brought him screen exposure, but the outdoors has remained the stronger long-term theme.
Made in Chelsea Turned Tristan Phipps Into a Familiar Face
Phipps joined Made in Chelsea in 2018 as a new cast member during Series 16. He briefly left before returning in later series and eventually became one of the programme’s longer-running recurring personalities.
The E4 series gave him something his safari career could not provide on the same scale: a mainstream audience. Arlington Talent says he joined the programme partly to build his profile while continuing to use that visibility to discuss conservation and photography.
His relationships have also become part of his on-screen story. His romance with Olivia Bentley was among his best-known Made in Chelsea relationships before it ended. He later began dating fellow cast member Julia “Jules” Pollard.
That relationship remains current in 2026. Channel 4’s September announcement for the new series identified “Jules and Tristan” as one of the returning couples, while Pollard’s talent profile describes Phipps as her boyfriend. Made in Chelsea returned to E4 on 14 September 2026, with Phipps still part of the cast.
Winning The Challenge: UK Showed Another Side of Him
In 2023, Phipps competed on The Challenge: UK, the British edition of the physical reality competition. Paramount describes the series as a contest in which UK celebrities face challenges and eliminations for a cash prize and the title of Challenge Champion.
Phipps won the UK edition and then moved into The Challenge: World Championship, where contestants from national versions competed in a global tournament. Paramount’s official press material named him among the UK competitors entering the World Championship.
The format suited his public identity: endurance, adaptability and physical resilience connected naturally with his years of outdoor guiding and later fundraising challenges.
Conservation Has Become a Major Part of His Public Work
The clearest thread across Phipps’ career is conservation. He is listed as a Tusk ambassador, with the charity highlighting both his television career and his four years as a safari guide. He has also worked with the Born Free Foundation and used endurance challenges to raise awareness and funds for wildlife causes.
His conservation roles expanded further in recent years. In February 2025, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust announced Phipps as an ambassador in a programme designed to bring its research and conservation work to wider audiences. He remained on the organisation’s ambassador list in 2026.
Nature’s SAFE, a charity that preserves living cells and tissues from species at risk of extinction, also lists him as an ambassador. Its profile says he divides his time between the UK and South Africa and works across conservation, media and wildlife storytelling.
In June 2026, Phipps took part in the Lewa Safari Marathon in Kenya, an event supporting conservation and community projects. Reports identified him as a Tusk ambassador among more than 1,300 runners.
Travel, Expeditions and Wildlife Presenting
Phipps’ own website now places adventure and safari work at the centre of his brand. He describes his career as a combination of hosted expeditions, wildlife and travel content, and television, with conservation running through each area.
That direction gives him a career path beyond structured reality television. His safari experience, presenting work and conservation partnerships provide a natural route into travel and factual content.
His site also highlights journeys such as Kenya and promotes direct experience of wild landscapes, with an emphasis on responsible connection with nature rather than simple luxury tourism.
Bellr Adds a Business Element
Companies House records show that Phipps has been a director of Bellr Group Limited since 8 October 2022. The company, incorporated in 2020, operates in plant retail and online retail.
Bellr sells houseplants and related products, positioning itself around greener living. Its current website offers indoor plants, pots and plant-care guidance. Media coverage has linked Phipps with Made in Chelsea co-star Sam Prince in the business, but public filings provide the clearest statement of his present formal role: active director.
Those filings do not establish his exact ownership percentage or personal income from the company, an important distinction when discussing his finances.
How Old Is Tristan Phipps?
There is conflicting information online about Phipps’ birth year. Some entertainment databases give 17 November 1995, but official Companies House records list his date of birth as November 1994.
Because the government filing provides only the month and year, his exact day of birth cannot be confirmed from that record. Based on Companies House information, he is 31 in September 2026 and would turn 32 in November.
Tristan Phipps’ Relationship With Julia Pollard
Phipps is currently in a relationship with Julia “Jules” Pollard, who joined Made in Chelsea in 2024. Channel 4’s 2026 press material refers to them as a returning couple, and Pollard’s professional talent profile says she shares parts of their life together through television and social media.
Before Pollard, Phipps’ best-known public relationship was with Olivia Bentley. Their on-and-off romance formed part of multiple Made in Chelsea storylines before ending. His current relationship remains public through the programme, but private speculation beyond confirmed material should not be treated as fact.
What Is Tristan Phipps’ Net Worth?
There is no reliable, publicly verified figure for Tristan Phipps’ net worth. He has income-generating activities across television, brand work, business and media, but his private earnings and assets are not disclosed in a way that supports a dependable total.
Companies House confirms his directorship at Bellr Group Limited, but a company position does not reveal a person’s overall wealth or exact income. Precise net-worth claims on celebrity websites should therefore be treated cautiously unless supported by credible financial evidence.
Conclusion
Tristan Phipps has used reality television as a platform rather than allowing it to define the whole of his career. Made in Chelsea made him widely recognisable, but his professional story began earlier in Southern Africa and continues to revolve around wildlife, adventure and conservation.
In 2026, he remains active on Made in Chelsea while also working with conservation organisations, developing travel and expedition content, supporting wildlife fundraising and serving as a Bellr director. That combination gives his public profile an unusual shape: part reality-TV personality, part outdoor presenter and part conservation advocate, with each strand linked by the experience that first took him into the African bush.
FAQs.
What Is Tristan Phipps Known For?
Tristan Phipps is best known as a cast member of E4’s Made in Chelsea. He is also a former professional safari guide, conservation ambassador and winner of The Challenge: UK. His work increasingly combines wildlife, travel, television and environmental advocacy.
Was Tristan Phipps Really a Safari Guide?
Yes. His talent agency, personal website and conservation organisations state that he trained in Southern Africa, qualified as a registered walking safari guide and spent about four years leading clients in the African wilderness.
Is Tristan Phipps Still With Jules Pollard?
Yes. As of September 2026, Channel 4 describes Jules Pollard and Tristan Phipps as one of the returning couples in the current Made in Chelsea series.
What Business Is Tristan Phipps Involved In?
He is an active director of Bellr Group Limited, the company behind the Bellr houseplant business. Companies House records his appointment as a director in October 2022.
Did Tristan Phipps Win The Challenge: UK?
Yes. Phipps won The Challenge: UK in 2023 and later represented the UK in The Challenge: World Championship. Paramount’s official announcement named him among the UK contestants entering the global competition.
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