EXC: Spencer Matthews says he ‘never really processed’ late brother Michael’s death until ‘just now’

He recently filmed a documentary about his late brother Michael’s last days before he died descending Mount Everest.

And, reflecting on his sibling’s passing, Spencer Matthews has revealed he ‘never really processed’ his death until ‘just now’, adding that he assumed the ‘superhero’ would return.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 34, was 10-years-old when Michael tragically died aged 22 – after becoming the youngest Brit to reach the peak in 1999.

EXCLUSIVE: ‘I just assumed he’d come back’: Spencer Matthews has admitted he ‘never really processed’ his late brother Michael’s death until ‘just now’ – following his passing aged 22 while climbing Mount Everest

Speaking on his new podcast, Big Fish, released on Wednesday, he told Ant Middleton: ‘I never really processed Mike’s death until just now. He died in 1999, you know, 23 years ago. And he was 22, the youngest Brit to reach the summit. And I was 10.

‘So, to me, losing him was not something I fully understood. Mike was my superhero figure in my life. I just assumed he’d come back, I didn’t believe that he was dead for a period of time.

‘And you know, as time passed, I understood I would never see him again. I’ve always had this burning desire to find him. And obviously I understood through my teenage years, how complicated that would be.

‘I’m not a particularly externally emotional person. I can’t really remember the last time I cried. I’m a very black and white character who just deals with issues when I face them.

Family: The former Made In Chelsea star, 34, was 10-years-old when Michael (left next to sibling James) tragically died aged 22 – after becoming the youngest Brit to reach the peak in 1999

‘I became very close with people on that mountain and they came home, you know, one of the lads lost 20 kilos because he was there the whole time, and he was different, you know, he came back and was affected by it.’

Spencer – who shares children Theodore, four, Gigi, two, and Otto, six months, with his wife Vogue Williams – continued: ‘Otto was five days old when I left for Everest for five weeks. I had nothing but support from Vogue. Vogue was so on board with it and so proud that we were doing it.

‘And she feels really close to Michael having never met him, of course, and was deeply emotionally touched by the whole thing.’

Candid: Speaking on his new podcast, Big Fish , released on Wednesday, he told Ant Middleton 9right): ‘I never really processed Mike’s death until just now’

Opening up: He added: ‘And you know, as time passed, I understood I would never see him again. I’ve always had this burning desire to find him’

Earlier this year, it was reported Spencer was in the early stages of making a documentary about his late brother Michael’s last days before he died descending Mount Everest.

The CleanCo founder was said to be ‘hugely passionate’ about embarking on the journey, which will retrace the steps of his sibling, who tragically died aged 22.

Spencer allegedly had the backing of his parents and his brother James, 34, who is married to the Duchess of Cambridge’s sister Pippa Middleton, to create the ’emotional’ project, which will see Spencer visit his final resting place.   

According to The Sun, Spencer was intent on bringing his brother’s body home, and a source said: ‘Spencer’s documentary about Michael and his final days is at the very early stages and Disney+ have shown an interest.

Project: Earlier this year, it was reported Spencer was in the early stages of making a documentary about his late brother Michael’s last days before he died

‘Though the Matthews family were never able to recover Michael’s body, there is a guide who believes they know his final resting place.

‘It is a hugely emotional project and will be a very upsetting journey for many reasons, but Spencer is hugely passionate about embarking on it if he can make it work.’

Experienced mountaineer Michael, who had previously conquered Kilimanjaro, died in 1999 on a quest that saw him become the youngest Brit to conquer Everest. He was the 162nd person to die on Everest. 

Heartbroken: Speaking about his devastating loss, Spencer previously said: ‘His loss was devastating for the family and over time this became worse’ (Michael Matthews, 22, (L), with friend Jamie Everet in front of the summit of Everest)

Although Michael reached the summit of the world’s highest mountain, he became separated from his group during the route down the mountain.

Michael’s body has never been recovered and the Matthews’ family have never been able to fully understand what happened to him. 

Michael was an accomplished climber who had scaled the Pyrenees, the Swiss Alps and Kilimanjaro before he went on to attempt his fateful Everest trek, which cost around £22,000, using a climbing company.

After leading the group, the rest of the climbing pack claimed he began to struggle near the end and on their descent, a storm with 100mph winds hit leading to Michael’s separation from the group. 

David Matthews, the millionaire patriarch of the family, has always vowed the negligence of the mountain guides was to blame for his death.

He brought a private case against three men working for the firm amid claims the safety briefings were inadequate, his oxygen supply was faulty and the guides failed to keep Michael in their sights during the climb. 

The case was dismissed as the judge insisted there was no evidence of negligence. 

Spencer and his family have since raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for The Michael Matthews Foundation, created in Michael’s memory to support education projects in Africa and Asia. 

Spencer most recently entered the Ice Ultra, which is a 230km self sufficient foot race (carrying all food and equipment) through the mountains of Arctic Sweden.

Latest challenge: Spencer most recently entered the Ice Ultra, which is a 230km self sufficient foot race (carrying all food and equipment) through the mountains of Arctic Sweden

Update: The media personality was forced to pull out of the race due to contracting Covid, however he was in 10th position at the time of withdrawl

The media personality was forced to pull out of the race due to contracting Covid, however he was in 10th position at the time of withdrawl. 

In October he completed the gruelling six-day Marathon Des Sables in Morocco. 

The ex Made In Chelsea star ran the ultramarathon across the Sahara Desert in memory of his late brother. The entrepreneur ran the 251 km race alongside his business partner David Folkman,.

The ultra-fit pair were raising money for The Michael Matthews Foundation.

Spencer described his brother as an ‘incredible force of nature’ as he took to Instagram at the time to tell his followers about his upcoming adventure.

He wrote: ‘Next week, together with @cleanco MD David Folkman, I will compete in the @marathondessables – a gruelling 251km self-sustained ultramarathon across the Sahara Desert.

Race: Spencer most recently completed the gruelling six-da Marathon Des Sables in Morocco

Partners in crime: The entrepreneur ran the 251 km race alongside his business partner David Folkman, 45

‘In what’s dubbed as the ‘toughest footrace on earth’, we are raising funds for @michaelmatthewsfoundation – the charity founded in memory of my late brother who died whilst descending Mount Everest in 1999. At the time, he was the youngest Brit to have reached the summit at just 22 years old.

‘My brother was an incredible force of nature and I now feel like I’m in the best place to do this challenge justice; whilst supporting an incredible charity that builds schools and provides safe accommodation for girls in remote parts of Africa and Asia.

‘Please visit the GoFundMe link in my bio, if you are able to support.’

Challenging: ‘In what’s dubbed as the ‘toughest footrace on earth’, we are raising funds for @michaelmatthewsfoundation’, Spencer wrote

Adventurer: Michael Matthews was an accomplished climber who had scaled the Pyrenees, the Swiss Alps and Kilimanjaro before he went on to attempt his fateful Everest trek

In Spencer’s 2013 book Confessions of a Chelsea Boy: The Autobiography, he discussed the devastating loss of his sibling.   

Speaking about the family, including his other brother James, he said: ‘His loss was devastating for the family and over time this became worse because the circumstances surrounding Michael’s death have never been fully explained.

‘James took the news badly. With just a year and a half between them, he and Mike were the closest of friends. The loss was heartbreaking for James.’

Family: Spencer is married to model and TV star Vogue Williams. The couple are expecting their third child later this year 

Royal connections: Spencer’s older brother James is married to Pippa Middleton, the younger sister of the Duchess of Cambridge (pictured with Michael, Carole and James Middleton)

Of the unanswered questions surrounding the death, Spencer went on: ‘We have not been able to say goodbye in person. We have nowhere to go to sit with him. 

‘He lives on with us in our minds only. On Mike’s birthday James and I send mum and dad red roses for the age he would have been. I guess our family’s way of dealing with losing Mike is to believe that he goes on with us.’ 

In a 2001 Guardian article on the tragedy, Spencer and Michael’s father David explained how he originally trained with his son and his colleague Jamie Everett for the Everest expedition.

David was forced to drop out of the climb after a training climb up Aconcagua  where he discovered that surgery he had had on his carotid artery prevented him from climbing well at altitude.