Spencer Matthews: The stigma around not drinking needs to change

Spencer Matthews found fame on Made In Chelsea, the award-winning reality drama which followed the love lives of a group of wealthy London 20-somethings.

But now at 32, the ex-Etonian says life couldn’t be more different from his boozy days on the popular show. He’s been married to Irish model Vogue Williams since 2018 and has two children – Theodore, two, and Gigi, six months. He’s also sober, and a successful entrepreneur in his own right, having recently launched a low-alcohol liquor company called CleanCo (clean.co).

“I’m not sure I’d know myself, or even be friends with myself, three years ago,” says Matthews, reflecting on all the changes. He says sobriety seemed a natural lifestyle choice ahead of the birth of his son.

“I remember Theodore was going to be born in a few months, and I was at the stage where I was drinking really rather very heavily, and it was going to be a big shock to the system. When you have kids, you realise it’s not really about you any more – suddenly you have to be ready and available for them at all times.” “I choose not to drink alcohol but I don’t see it as an enemy,” he stresses. “I’m not in recovery and I don’t have an alcohol dependency issue; I just prefer living my life in a sober manner, having been drunk for a lot of my 20s and late teens.”

His interest in sobriety led him to founding his low-alcohol drinks start-up, which has just raised funds to expand worldwide. The company, called CleanCo, uses traditional distilling methods to create ultra low-alcohol spirits – including rum and gin with 1.2% ABV that tastes remarkably like the real thing. “A lot of people aren’t alcoholics but probably feel like they drink a bit too much. I want to make that experience of having that ‘alcoholic’ drink as regular as you want it, but there just won’t be that impact the next day.”

As the low and no-alcohol drinks sector continues to grow, he believes we’ll see a shift in approaching alcohol as full-strength and lowstrength, and there won’t be a stigma attached to drinking the latter on a night out at the local pub.

“When I decided to quit alcohol, there wasn’t anything to fill that gap. If I was in the pub, I’d have to order a Coca Cola and it makes you stick out negatively for making a positive decision, which is rare. If you decided you want to lose weight or take up running, most of your mates will think that’s a ‘good for you’ moment. Whereas if you don’t go out drinking, your mates think you’ve become boring. That’s a shame. I think the stigma around not drinking should change, so it’s not just socially acceptable but a positive thing.”