While he found his origins in Made in Chelsea, Spencer Matthews feels like the show “is not really relevant” to him anymore.
Speaking to The Anton Savage Show today, Mr Matthews said he “always wanted to be creative in some way”.
“I wanted to be in TV and entertainment all my life,” he said.
At the age of 19, Mr Matthews started his career in entertainment in the structured reality show Made in Chelsea.
He said the “orchestrated side” of the show only crept in over time.
“When it was brand new and original, the scenes were less orchestrated – it felt pretty real and the conversations on camera were less structured,” he said.
“In reality, because we are not the world’s most interesting people, we need a little bit of help with story lines.
“At no point are you given a script, but the conversations can be guided heavily somewhat.”
Finding Michael
Despite the success of the show, Mr Matthews said he never saw the show as his “endgame”.
“It certainly feels like a distant memory,” he said.
“I don’t dislike the show, but it’s not really relevant to me anymore – it feels like something I did as a kid.”
Across his career, Mr Matthews has been busy with several projects, including his documentary Finding Michael about looking for the remains of his brother on Mount Everest.
“I was only 10 when Michael died so I wasn’t really equipped to understand death and his passing,” he said.
“This was an opportunity all these years later to really properly think about it and dig into it.
“It’s the closest I’ve been to him in over 20 years.”
Everest is the only front Mr Matthews has fared, after completing Ultras in the Arctic, the desert and the Amazon.
Spencer and Vogue
Mr Matthews is also one half of Spencer and Vogue, a podcast with his wife, Dublin-born Vogue Williams.
Ms Williams, who recently went on tour for her podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me, is a great source of pride for Mr Matthews.
“Who knew podcast was going to go the way it’s gone?” he said.
“We started Spencer and Vogue in lockdown and My Therapist Ghosted Me came shortly after and now they're literally filling arenas.”
Mr Matthews and Ms Williams will be going on tour in 2024 with several dates in Dublin.
Mr Matthews’ other pursuits include CleanCo, the world’s largest non-alcoholic spirits brand, and his second podcast Big Fish, where he interviews people about success and hardship.
Answering the question he asks all his guests himself, Mr Matthews said success is being loved by those around you, having freedom, and most importantly, health.
“Your health is your most valuable asset – there's no point in achieving anything in life if you’re not healthy,” he said.
Listen back here:
