Spencer Matthews
{{Short description|British television personality and entrepreneur (born 1988)}}
{{For|those of a similar name|H. Spencer Matthews|Spencer Matthews King}}
{{use British English|date=December 2021}}
{{use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Spencer Matthews
| birth_name = Spencer George Matthews
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1988|8|6|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Grantham, Lincolnshire, England
| education = Eton College
| spouse = {{marriage|Vogue Williams|June 2018}}
| children = 3
| relatives = James Matthews (brother)
| occupation = Television personality, entrepreneur
}}
Spencer George Matthews (born 6 August 1988){{cite book|last1=Matthews|first1=Spencer|title=Confessions of a Chelsea Boy: The Autobiography|date=27 April 2014|publisher=Sidgwick & Jackson|isbn=9781447242703|pages=272}} is a British television personality and entrepreneur, known for his appearances on Made in Chelsea.{{cite book|last1=Matthews|first1=Spencer|title=Confessions of a Chelsea Boy|publisher=Pan Macmillan UK|isbn=978-1743513217|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2bDfAAAAQBAJ&q=confessions+spencer++matthews|date=1 October 2013}}{{cite news|last1=Gutteridge|first1=Nick|title=Middleton of the Glen! How Pippa will get a title to rival her sister Kate after engagement|url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/691459/Pippa-Middleton-inherit-Scottish-title-engagement-James-Matthews-Duchess-Cambridge|work=Daily Express |location=UK |date=20 July 2016|access-date=21 July 2016}} He has also appeared on other television shows such as Celebrity MasterChef and The Jump. He is the founder and CBO of CleanCo non-alcoholic spirits. In 2024, Matthews became a Guinness World Records holder, when he completed thirty marathons in thirty days, for charity.{{cite web|url=https://www.heart.co.uk/showbiz/spencer-matthews-completes-desert-challenge/|title=Spencer Matthews completes his epic Great Desert Challenge! 30 marathons in 30 days|website=Heart|last=Eames|first=Tom|date=27 August 2024|access-date=27 August 2024}}
Early life
Matthews is the third son of landowner and entrepreneur David Matthews, from his second marriage, to Rhodesian-born artist Jane Spencer Parker. His mother was educated at the Slade School of Art. He is named after his maternal grandfather, Robert Spencer Parker, an architect. He has an older half-sister, Nina, and two older brothers, James and Michael, the latter of whom died at age 22 in 1999 while scaling Mount Everest.
The family owned Caunton Manor, a {{convert|30|acre|adj=on}} estate in Nottinghamshire, and Eden Rock in Saint Barthélemy, sometimes described as one of the "top 100 resorts in the world". Matthews split his childhood between the two residences.{{cite news|title=Who is Spencer Matthews, Pippa Middleton's brother-in-law?|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/spencer-matthewspippa-middletons-future-brother-in-law/|website=The Telegraph|date=9 May 2017 |publisher=Telegraph Media Group Limited|access-date=21 May 2017}}
He was educated at Eton College. Matthews attended the University of Southern California, where he studied cinema and television with the aim of becoming an artist; he dropped out after nine months.{{cite news|last1=Pelly|first1=Guy|title=Meet the Matthews: who are Pippa Middleton's imminent in-laws?|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/meet-matthews-pippa-middletons-imminent-in-laws/|location=UK |work=Daily Telegraph |date= 8 April 2017|access-date=9 May 2017|quote=27-year-old Spencer... (was familiar with) London's Slade School of Art}}
In 2007, upon purchasing a {{convert|10000|acre|adj=on}} estate with hunting lodge in Scotland, his parents acquired the Scottish courtesy titles of Laird and Lady of Glen Affric.{{cite web|title=The Glen Affric Estate|url=http://www.glenaffricestate.com/|website=glenaffricestate.com|publisher=Affric Lodge|access-date=21 May 2017}}{{cite web|last1=Smith|first1=Lauren|title=See the Massive Scottish Estate Pippa Will Someday Be Lady Of|url=http://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/news/a8885/pippa-middleton-glen-affric-scottish-estate/|website=housebeautiful.com|date=23 May 2017|access-date=29 May 2017|quote=(James and Spencer) Matthews' parents are currently the Laird and Lady of Glen Affric, a (10,000-acre) Scottish estate in the Highlands. Someday, it's reported that the titles his father and mother currently hold will be passed down to James and his wife. This means, Pippa and James will one day rule the roost of the spectacular property.}}
Career
Matthews came into the public eye through the E4 ‘constructed reality’ show Made in Chelsea.{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2016/02/07/has-spencer-matthews-quit-made-in-chelsea-for-good-5667414/|title=Has Spencer Matthews quit Made In Chelsea for good?|first=Rebecca|last=Lewis|date=February 7, 2016}} In 2017, he won the fourth series of Channel 4's competition show, The Jump.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ok.co.uk/tv/jump-spencer-matthews-vogue-williams-14545041|title=The Jump: Spencer Matthews and Vogue Williams cosy up LIVE on air as they're called out on PDA by Davina McCall|first=Laura|last=Donaldson|date=February 12, 2017|website=OK! Magazine}} In 2018, he participated in and reached the final of Celebrity Masterchef.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bhrh3w|title=BBC One - Celebrity MasterChef, Series 13, Episode 3|website=BBC}} The same year, he became the face of Cartoon Network's Ben 10 Deluxe Omnitrix Watch.{{cite web|url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/2018111964707/spencer-matthews-christmas-plans-theodore-new-nephew-arthur/%3fviewas=amp|quote = The former Made in Chelsea star also had a busy year working, including becoming the new face of Cartoon Network's Ben 10 Deluxe Omnitrix Watch.|access-date=22 November 2018|date=19 November 2018|title=Spencer Matthews talks son Theodore's relationship with Pippa Middleton and James' son Arthur}}
2019 saw Matthews work alongside his wife on their own E4 show Spencer, Vogue and Baby Too. The show was renewed for a second series.{{Cite web|url=https://www.channel4.com/press/news/spencer-and-vogue-return-second-series|title=Spencer and Vogue return for a second series | Channel 4|website=www.channel4.com}}
Matthews is the founder of CleanCo, which sells non-alcohol spirit alternatives and focuses around the concept of living a 'Life Less Wasted'. He started CleanCo following his own journey into sobriety following the birth of his first child and becoming aware of a lack of sophisticated options for those choosing not to drink alcohol. {{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/money/article/spencer-matthews-business-is-going-to-be-my-escape-from-reality-zxdqcsb6n|title=Spencer Matthews: business is going to be my escape from reality|first=Katie|last=Binns|via=www.thetimes.co.uk}}
Matthews has presented for the BBC's Watchdog, appeared in a CBeebies 2019 marketing campaign and worked with the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board. With his family's agreement, Matthews embarked on a journey to Mount Everest in an attempt to recover the body of his brother Michael. The journey was recorded in the form of a documentary titled Finding Michael, which premiered on Disney+ in 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/mar/03/finding-michael-review-spencer-matthews-mount-everest|title=Finding Michael review – Spencer Matthews goes on a haunting high-altitude mission|work=The Guardian|first=Rebecca|last=Nicholson|date=3 March 2023|accessdate=16 March 2023}}
Personal life
Matthews was christened Anglican and says he was "brought up Church of England, but not in a practising manner".{{cite web |title=Pilgrimage: The Road Through North Wales - Michaela Strachan, Spencer Matthews, Sonali Shah, Eshaan Akbar, Amanda Lovett, Tom Rosenthal and Christine McGuinness open up on their emotional spiritual journey |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/pilgrimage-the-road-through-north-wales|access-date=5 January 2025 |work=BBC Media Centre |date=27 March 2024}} He took part in the Pilgrimage BBC Two series, in 2024, with other six celebrities. He described himself then as spiritual but not religious, and questioned the existence of Jesus and his attributed miracles.{{cite news |last1=Williams |first1=Duncan |title=Eton celeb sparks debate on standards of religious education |url=https://www.christiantoday.com/article/eton.celeb.sparks.debate.on.standards.of.religious.education/141546.htm |access-date=5 January 2025 |work=Christian Today |date=25 March 2024}}
Matthews married Irish model and media personality Vogue Williams on 9 June 2018 at his family's Glen Affric estate.{{cite web |date=June 11, 2018 |title=See the incredible Scottish estate where Spencer Matthews and Vogue Williams said 'I do' |url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/travel/2018061249298/spencer-matthews-vogue-williams-wedding-venue/ |access-date= |publisher=Hello Magazine}} They have a son born in September 2018;{{Cite web|date=September 5, 2018|title=Spencer Matthews and Vogue Williams welcome birth of their son|url=https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/lifestyle/entertainment/spencer-matthews-and-vogue-williams-welcome-birth-of-their-son/|website=Evening Express|language=en-US}} a daughter born in July 2020;{{cite news|date=July 23, 2020|title=Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews have welcomed a baby girl|work=Cosmopolitan|url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/a33404564/vogue-williams-spencer-matthews-baby-girl/}} and a son born in April 2022.{{Cite web |date=April 20, 2022 |title=Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews welcome arrival of third baby – see photo and exclusive quote |url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/mother-and-baby/20220420138387/vogue-williams-spencer-matthews-announces-birth-third-baby/ |access-date= |website=HELLO! |language=en}} Their first two children were christened Church of England, while the third was christened Catholic.{{cite news |title=Vogue Williams: 'Two of my kids are Protestant and one is Catholic' |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/film-tv/vogue-williams-two-of-my-kids-are-protestant-and-one-is-catholic/a1623644240.html |access-date=5 January 2025 |work=Belfast Telegraph |date=23 September 2023}}
Matthews achieved a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 2020 after training for 15 months.{{Cite web|last=BjjTribes|date=2020-12-10|title=Spencer Matthews Promoted To Blue Belt Under Paxton Gibbons (Roger Gracie Black Belt)|url=https://bjjtribes.com/spencer-matthews-promoted-to-blue-belt-under-paxton-gibbons-roger-gracie-black-belt/|access-date=2020-12-10|website=BjjTribes|language=en-US}}
In 2016, Matthews admitted that he had previously used anabolic steroids. The previous year, he had been asked to leave the fifteenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! due to his consumption of steroid pills while participating as a contestant in the series.{{cite web |last1=Garvan |first1=Sinead |title=Made in Chelsea's Spencer Matthews took steroids 'to look good in the shower' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-35707310 |website=BBC News |access-date=5 April 2021 |date=3 March 2016}}
=Guinness World Records=
In August 2024, Matthews broke a marathon World Record, by completing thirty marathons in thirty days. He undertook the campaign in Jordan, West Asia.{{cite web|url=https://www.capitalfm.com/news/spencer-matthews-marathon-world-record-desert-challenge/|title=Spencer Matthews Plans To Break Marathon World Record For Global's Make Some Noise|website=Capital FM|last=Reynolds|first=Abbie|date=4 July 2024|access-date=27 August 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk/leisure/national/24529515.hardest-geezer-cheers-spencer-matthews-desert-marathon-challenge/|title=‘Hardest Geezer’ cheers on Spencer Matthews during desert marathon challenge|website=Wandsworth Times|date=20 August 2024|access-date=27 August 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://evoke.ie/2024/08/27/entertainment/spencer-matthews-marathon-desert|title=Spencer Matthews celebrates with family after completing 30 marathons|website=Evoke|last=McCarthy|first=Clare|date=27 August 2024|access-date=27 August 2024}}
Publications
Matthews, Spencer (27 April 2014). Confessions of a Chelsea Boy: The Autobiography. Sidgwick and Jackson. pp 272 {{ISBN|9781447242703}}.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|4461974}}
{{The Jump}}
{{The Bachelor}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, Spencer}}
Category:People educated at Eton College
Category:21st-century English people