Spencer Matthews on Being a Reality TV Villain & Grieving His Brother

September 29, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Spencer Matthews first became famous as a villain on the British reality show Made in Chelsea, a carbon copy of The Hills that followed wealthy young people in London. But when he arrived at a party in 2018 and his sister-in-law (Pippa Middleton) offered him a non-alcoholic gin and tonic, he had a revelation. "I couldn't believe there was nothing else," he says. He knew then he wanted to build a non-alcoholic spirits brand. That moment captures the through-line of his life: a man who has repeatedly walked away from unhealthy situations—a hit reality show, daily drinking, a finance job—and redirected his obsessive energy into endurance athletics, business, and family. This conversation with host Carl Radke, recorded at Soft Bar in Brooklyn, covers the mechanics of leaving a toxic system, the psychology of playing a TV villain, and the long, unfinished work of grieving a lost brother.

The Reality TV Villain Was a Performance

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

Never miss an episode of More Life with Carl Radke

Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

What you'll learn

1 (01:00) **Opening & Personal Mantras** - Carl introduces Spencer Matthews and they compare their life philosophies.
2 (03:55) **Reality TV Origins: Made in Chelsea** - Spencer describes how he became a founding cast member of the UK hit show.
3 (07:30) **Playing the Villain vs. Being the Real Person** - Spencer unpacks the deliberate construction of his on-screen “bad boy” persona.
4 (10:00) **The Toxic Reality of Production Manipulation** - Spencer describes how producers would set him up in scenes he couldn’t trust.
5 (12:35) **Watching Yourself Drunk on TV** - Spencer reflects on the painful experience of watching his own intoxicated scenes back.
6 (14:20) **Walking Away from the Show** - Spencer explains how he made a clean, decisive exit from Made in Chelsea.
7 (16:00) **Grief, Loss, and Family History** - Spencer opens up about losing his older brother Michael on Mount Everest when he was 10 years old.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Carl Radke

Show Notes

Spencer Matthews knows exactly what it’s like to build a career playing the villain on reality TV. A founding cast member of Made in Chelsea, the UK’s answer to The Hills, Spencer sits down with Carl to trade behind-the-scenes stories about reality TV, including how he developed an alter ego for the show, why he eventually walked away, and what it was like watching his on-screen persona follow him long after he left.

The reality star turned entrepreneur and host of the running podcast Untapped also opens up about his complicated relationship with alcohol, the period when he got sober, and how a non-alcoholic gin and tonic at a family party ultimately inspired him to launch CleanCo.

Spencer also shares the story of losing his older brother Michael, who died climbing Mount Everest when Spencer was just 10. Years later, he returned to the mountain for Finding Michael, retracing his brother’s final climb and searching for his body. He and Carl connect over losing their brothers and the different ways grief can shape your life.

This is a conversation about reality TV, identity, fame, grief, alcohol, and finding a life that feels like your own.

Episode Sponsors:

Momentous: If you want to try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine, head to livemomentous.com and use code LIFE for up to 35% off your entire first order.

Grow Therapy: See if you could pay as little as $0 for therapy in seconds at growtherapy.com/RADKE. Availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan.

ZipRecruiter: Try ZipRecruiter to post your job FOR FREE at http://ziprecruiter.com/RADKE . 4 out of 5 employers who post on ZipRecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day.

Casper: Right now, save up to 20% on mattresses and up to 25% on everything else when you go to Casper.com. #sponsored #ad

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices