Yahoo News Spencer Matthews 'takes comfort' in comparisons to late brother Michael
The Made In Chelsea star's brother Michael has never been found after going missing following his Mount Everest climb.
Watch: Spencer Matthews takes 'great comfort' in comparison to late brother Michael
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Spencer Matthews has admitted he takes "great comfort" in comparisons over his adventurous spirit to his late brother Michael, who went missing on Mount Everest.
The former Made In Chelsea star is due to take on a gruelling charity challenge next week that will see him complete 30 marathons in 30 days in the desert, running all of it on sand.
Asked by Good Morning Britain host Richard Madeley whether he and Michael had an "adventure gene", Matthews said he was flattered by any suggestions of being like his older brother who had been the youngest Brit to reach the summit of Everest.
What, how, and why?
Matthews is set to take on his most gruelling challenge yet when he attempts 30 marathons on sand in 30 days next week, in aid of charity Make Some Noise.
The former Made In Chelsea star has competed in events including the notoriously tough Marathon Des Sables in the past and as he appeared on Good Morning Britain to talk about his latest adventure, host Richard Madeley asked whether bravery ran in the family. Madeley said: "I think you I think you must be born with this gene of adventurism."
The reality TV star's older brother Michael had been the youngest Brit ever to reach the summit of Everest aged just 22 when he embarked on the trek in 1999, but tragically went missing hours after achieving the feat.
Matthews made a documentary about the family tragedy, Finding Michael, last year and visited the site where his brother went missing, but his body has never been found.
He told Madeley: "If the people that knew Michael could see some similarity between me and him, I would take great comfort from that. He was a wonderful young man."
Asked whether he thought there was a genetic factor to adventuring, Matthews added: "I can't really speak to that.
"Since drastically changing my relationship with alcohol, I've had a bit of a different view of stuff. I used to drink to excess far too regularly. I had a bit of a problem with drinking. I always chose jobs where drinking and entertaining would be kind of part of it.
"If I did have a regret in life, I wish I'd knocked that out of me earlier...I did four years of total abstinence. I found this desire and drive to really push myself in all kinds of ways."
Matthews says communication with wife Vogue will be tougher
Matthews' wife Vogue Williams and their three children will not get much contact with him over the 30-day challenge in the Jordanian desert, but he revealed that he does have a phone for "quick calls".
He said: "The communication might be a bit tougher. We've got a (satellite) phone with us as well, just in case there's no reception. There is some reception in the desert, which is a strange thing to imagine that there is, but there will be an eight-day period where there's just nothing, no communication of any kind.
"But we have a sat phone. It's very expensive to use, so it'll be a quick call."
Matthews reveals gruelling marathon training
Matthews will also need to contend with extreme heat in Jordan and he explained that he was going to be starting each marathon at around 3am so that the temperature would be lower at 30 degrees celcius.
He said: "We'll get the bulk of the marathon done early, have the lovely sunrise in the desert and it will be a very memorable experience anyway, but I'm keen for this to be of interest to as many people as possible."
Matthews said that his training had included sweltering sessions in a heat chamber at London South Bank University.
"They've got a chamber that they crank up to 50 degrees celcius, 20% humidity," he said. "You run continuously for two hours on a treadmill, but when you first start, you feel fine for about 15, 20 minutes, and then it suddenly just gets you.
"The idea is you have to try and keep a low heart rate, try and remain in control of how you're feeling, but it can just get you. And once it gets you, it's quite tough to break out."
Good Morning Britain airs on ITV1 at 6am on weekdays.
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