The playboy brother of 'Real Housewives of Beverley Hills' star Lisa Vanderpump took a fatal overdose after sending his fiancee a picture of a table covered with painkiller pills, an inquest heard.

DJ Mark Vanderpump, 59, had rowed with his model fiancee Gemma Ramsay, 35, and the couple exchanged angry texts shortly before he died.

Their relationship was under strain and they were having 'intense' arguments in the month leading up to his suicide and he had previously attempted suicide last Christmas, Gloucestershire coroner Katy Skerret was told.

Mr Vanderpump, who lived in Driffield, near Cirencester, allegedly had been having an affair with Gemma before their engagement and while she was married to Scottish businessman Mike Ramsay.

The DJ sent Gemma a text saying 'goodbye' and posted a picture of pills on a table before taking his own life in April this year, Ms Skerret said, before recording his death as suicide.

Mr Vanderpump's sister Lisa, a British-born businesswoman worth $75million (£57million), has appeared in the reality TV show Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and spin-off Vanderpump Rules.

Mark Vanderpump, 59, pictured with his famous sister 'Real Housewives of Beverley Hills' star Lisa Vanderpump, was found dead after drinking whisky and taking pills

Mr Vanderpump sent his fiancee Gemma Ramsay a text saying 'goodbye' and posted a picture of pills on a table before taking his own life in April this year

The former actress, 57, was a child star who appeared several TV shows and films before moving to the US, where she played Margo Curtis in Baywatch Nights with David Hasselhof.

She also helped run more than 20 bars in London with her husband Ken Todd and the couple also own four restaurants in California including Sur and PUMP Restaurant Lounge, which feature in her reality shows.

The dog lover also runs the successful Vanderpump Pets business and her Vanderpump Dog Foundation.

When her brother died this year, she told DailyMail.com she had spoken to Mark in the 24 hours before he died.

Ms Walker started a relationship with Mr Vanderpump last year and they became engaged - but they had been rowing a lot recently, the inquest heard

She said: ‘This has come as a shock to us all. My brother and I had connected the day before this tragedy and I was completely unprepared for this.

‘He was my only sibling and I am shocked and saddened by his passing. I am trying to be supportive to his two young sons that he has left behind, and help them get through this tragedy.

‘We appreciate your consideration in this private and extremely difficult family time.’

Their father Jonathan Vanderpump Snr told Gloucester Coroner's Court yesterday he was aware Mark had been 'experiencing financial problems' and had taken a previous overdose around Christmas.

Last year it was alleged that Mr Vanderpump had been having an affair with Gemma, the sister of actor Patrick Baladi, who played Neil Godwin in The Office.

Mother of three Mrs Ramsay was at that time married to Scottish businessman Mike Ramsay but later became Mr Vanderpump's fiancee.

Mr Ramsay, a company director from Elgin, was prosecuted at Inverness Sheriff Court last year for allegedly behaving in a threatening manner to Gemma at Inverness Airport. He was found not guilty.

He claimed during the case that he had paid £70,000 for his model wife to have two breast augmentations and four operations on her nose and he said he knew she had become involved with Mr Vanderpump when she was travelling to London for the procedures.

But he said he would rather have had an 'adulterous wife' than separate from her.

At today's inquest in Gloucester, the coroner heard from Mr Vanderpump's father Jonathan that he and his wife had a meal with their son on the evening of April 29 this year.

They offered for him to stay the night with them, but he went home.

They were aware he was in 'low mood' so they tried to call him the next day without success and when he did not answer Mr Vanderpump senior went to his son's home in Driffield and found him comatose on the sofa.

Lisa Vanderpump is a huge star in America and has appeared in the reality TV show Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and spin-off Vanderpump Rules

Lisa (far right) pictured with the cast of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills that catapulted her to worldwide fame

He was taken to Great Western Hospital in Swindon by ambulance but died in the early hours of May 1.

Lisa Vanderpump, pictured with her husband Ken Todd, has appeared in the reality TV show Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

'Jonathan Vanderpump explained that Gemma, his son's partner, had been making reports about Mark,' said coroner Katy Skerrett.

'This had led to some ongoing issues and he had gone with his son to the police station to provide further information on that.'

The inquest heard that there was a half bottle of whisky and numerous packets of tablets near Mark when he was found unresponsive by his father.

A post mortem report found Mark had various medications in his body including paracetemol and codeine at high levels. Drug toxicity was the cause of his death.

The inquest heard that when police went to Mr Vanderpump's home they found a long length of blue rope, tied in a noose, and a ladder in his car.

The coroner heard that following his attempt to take his life last Christmas he had received treatment and counselling from mental health services and his condition had soon stabilised.

'He had referred at that time to circumstances in his life including marriage breakdown, financial pressures, and new relationship issues with his partner, Gemma.

'His mother had also recently been diagnosed with health problems. '

The coroner then revealed that she had received a full transcripts of texts between Mr Vanderpump and Gemma on the night of April 29 this year.

'In the early hours of April 30 they are arguing via text and essentially it is clear he says goodbye to Gemma,' said the coroner.

'As part of that, he posted a picture of pills on a table. He made it clear he was taking those. No further messages were sent or received till 9.15am on the Monday morning when Gemma attempted to contact him but there was no response.

'It looks from the texts as if they had been having arguments throughout the month of April.'

Mr Vanderpump had previously tried to take his own life, had suffered financial problems and had been rowing with his fiancee before he died

Recording her conclusion of suicide, the coroner said 'It is clear from the text messages that his difficulties with his new relationship had reached a critical point during the month of April and the arguments between them were getting more intense in nature.'

She said she was satisfied Mr Vanderpump's death was suicide and not a cry for help because 'he was alone, he was not expecting to be disturbed, and from the nature of the texts he was saying goodbye and his unequivocal actions satisfy me that an intention was there and it is suicide.'

She added 'This was a tragic loss of a man facing numerous life circumstances and ending his life in that way.'