Once a fixture of reality television, Spencer Matthews has undergone a profound transformation, shedding his former persona to embrace fatherhood, entrepreneurship, and the demanding world of endurance athletics. The 37-year-old, known for his appearances on Made In Chelsea, now speaks of a life driven by purpose, a stark contrast to periods where he felt he “lacked purpose”.
“I’ve gone through years and years of not caring about anything and going out all the time,” Matthews reflects, having recently completed the London Marathon in an impressive three hours and four seconds, in collaboration with The Turmeric Co. He admits to having “long periods in my life where I’ve felt that I’ve really lacked purpose. I’ve not really enjoyed the things I’m doing and just been a half version of myself.”
For Matthews, who also hosts the podcast Untapped where he interviews athletes, this shift towards a more fulfilling existence began just a few years ago. “I think for anyone ambitious, you want to try to live up to what you can be – and that only really started for me a few years ago.” He attributes this change in mindset to a renewed focus on fitness and wellbeing.
“To me, my physical and mental health is probably the most important part of my life plan,” he asserts. “If you’re not well and healthy and living a full life, everything you’re striving for feels a little bit more pointless.”
This commitment has manifested in a series of gruelling endurance challenges. In 2024, Matthews ran 30 marathons in 30 days across the Jordanian desert, earning him a Guinness World Record for “the most consecutive marathons run on sand”. He followed this by tackling seven triathlons on seven continents in 21 days in 2025, a feat dubbed ‘Project Se7en’, which secured him two additional world records.
“Endurance challenges are great goals to have,” he explains. “I operate better when I have goals to chase.”
Matthews, who also founded the non-alcoholic spirits brand CleanCo in 2019, finds that maintaining focus is crucial for his sense of direction. “Boredom is a bit of a trigger of mine,” he reveals. “But now, I haven’t felt bored in a very long time.” He adds, “For me, unless there’s something to target, it’s quite easy to bend the rules on exercise. I find having one massive goal a year fun to work towards.”
Beyond personal achievement, a sense of purpose, often linked to charitable causes, underpins his efforts. “I feel very privileged to be able to do some of the events that I’ve done,” he says, noting that “being able to travel the world and raise money has also felt quite purposeful to me.” His Project Se7en challenge, for instance, supported James’ Place, a charity dedicated to preventing male suicide in the UK.
He recalls a particularly challenging moment during an Ironman triathlon in Cape Town, South Africa, which involves a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile marathon run. “I had about 15 minutes in the water where I was really struggling and felt quite frightened,” he recounts.
“But I had to stop and think: I’m in Cape Town doing an Ironman – this is something special.” This moment of reflection brought a deeper perspective. “I myself don’t have any experience with suicidal thoughts, but I thought, imagine waking up and not wanting to be here anymore. All of sudden it rationalises where you are and I found that moment quite helpful to understand that what I was doing could potentially help some of these men who are not in a good headspace.”
For anyone considering their own challenges, Matthews offers practical advice: “It sounds silly, but really making an effort to try and enjoy training and races helps.” He acknowledges the physical toll: “When you start to feel crushed, tired, full of lactic acid, slow and heavy, that becomes a pretty serious reality. If that’s all you’re thinking about, it’s pretty difficult. So try and enjoy it.”
He also emphasises the temporary nature of discomfort during exercise. “Any pain you’re feeling is going to come to an end,” he assures. “You will regret giving up almost immediately. Just strap in for the pain, try and enjoy it and it’s a lesson that you’ll remember. You’ll remember that pain and you could perhaps use it in other ways.”
However, Matthews cautions against overtraining, suggesting that going “too hard all the time” can lead to “consequences to pay”. With research from The Turmeric Co indicating that 47 per cent of people use pain relief just to continue exercising, he stresses the equal importance of recovery. “We’re human beings. We’re not machines. I focus on easy wins that exist to give myself an edge so I can train and not get injured,” he explains. “Turmeric is a great example of a scientifically proven concept that is affordable and really easy to use. It’s one shot in the morning, full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory.”
Away from his rigorous training schedule, Matthews, who is expecting his fourth child with wife Vogue Williams, prioritises maintaining balance at home. “I spend time with my kids and my wife. I try not to sacrifice the things that matter,” he says. “I work very hard and fortunately so does my wife. We spend our evenings together – we’re usually in bed early and our evenings are about winding down together.”
Reflecting on his past lifestyle, the contrast is clear. “I’ve gone through years of not caring and going out all the time – I know which I prefer,” he states. “If you put in the time and consistency, good things happen. It sounds obvious, but it took me a long time to realise that.” Matthews collaborated with The Turmeric Co. to highlight their offer of free joint support turmeric shots to those who ran a marathon this April.