Spencer Matthews’ brother’s harrowing death – and how his body is still missing

Spencer Matthews life hasn’t always been the unadulterated fun fans would expect from the Made In Chelsea alum.

The former reality star has just completed what is sure to have been some of the toughest 30 days in his life. The 36-year-old has this week broke the Guinness World Record for completing 30 marathons in 30 consecutive days completely on sand.

He’s also smashed past a goal of £350,000 for charity in doing so. Spencer did his gruelling running challenge to raise money for Global’s Make Some Noise charity.

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But the 1,266km trek through the Jordanian Desert isn’t the only hardship Spencer has faced in his life. Aged just 10, he tragically lost his older brother Michael.

What happened to Spencer Matthews’ brother?

Back in 1999, Michael Matthews attempted to become the youngest Brit to climb Mount Everest. He had already climbed the Swiss Alps, the Pyrenees and Kilimanjaro.

He headed to Everest with a company called Out There Trekking, with the trip costing £22,000. He reportedly struggled near the end of the climb, and was the last to reach the peak.

Tragedy soon struck, though, as the group was hit by a storm of 100mph winds. Michael was separated from the others and sadly became the 162nd person to die on Mount Everest.

Due to the tough conditions – heavy snow and strong winds – and the 8,000 metres high climb, Michael’s body has never been found.

‘Devastating loss’

Spencer wrote about the death of his older brother in his autobiography Confessions of a Chelsea Boy. 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.”

He and Michael also have another older brother, James, who is now married to Pippa Middleton, sister of Catherine, Princess of Wales.

Spencer went on: “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.”

Pointing the finger

David Matthews, father of Spencer and his brothers, has blamed mountain guides’ negligence for Michael’s death. In 2006, he attempted to prosecute three men working for Out There Trekking.

He claimed that Michael’s oxygen supply had been faulty, that there weren’t enough safety briefings, and that they had failed to keep Michael in sight. However a judge dismissed the case, citing a lack of evidence.

The lasting effect

Last year, Spencer released the Disney+ documentary Finding Michael. It saw him travel to Everest to try and find Michael’s body and bring him home.

Dad-of-three Spencer has admitted his brother’s death didn’t hit him as hard as the rest of his family, as he didn’t quite understand that Michael was never coming home.

But faced with the thought that he might see his brother’s body, he was hit by a “stern realisation”.

Speaking recently on the High Performance podcast, Spencer said: “I’m sat there at base camp, was there for five weeks, and I was thinking if we’re successful, I’m going to come face to face with my brother’s body, which would be probably perfectly preserved.

“So like I’ll be his older brother now he’s frozen in time. He died 12 years older than me, I’d now be 12 years older than him, the whole thing would have been a bit of a mind f***.”

Sadly, Spencer’s efforts to find his brother failed, and Michael has still never been found.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk