Spencer Matthews has opened up about sobriety and his battle with booze, admitting he feels “sorry” for his ex-girlfriends.
The former Made in Chelsea star, 33, previously announced he had quit alcohol for the sake of his marriage to model Vogue Williams, 37 and their children.
Since then the former party boy has been a famous face promoting a sober lifestyle on social media – even releasing a range of non-alcoholic spirits and delivering a White Paper on the subject to Downing Street.
Spencer, who is dad to Theodore, four, Gigi, two, and baby Otto, 11 months, got sober shortly after his eldest son's birth.
Speaking about his past issues, he said: "There was a really good chance that my wife would have left me if I carried on drinking the way I was drinking.
"For the first time in my life I put her first. Usually the old me would have said, ‘Do you know what? Fine. If you don’t like it then get out.’
"I had this really kind of selfish ‘me before anyone else’ streak before.
"When I realised I cared more about her than I do perhaps myself, and that I was making her see less in me, that gave me a real burning desire to be better for her, initially."
Discussing the topic on Big Fish with Spencer Matthews podcast with TV presenter and footballer Chelcee Grimes, he went into more detail about it.
He recalled: “I was never a terrible drunk. But I would drink excessively, really regularly, like every day.
“I was very unhealthy at one point. I was very overweight and just very grey with baggy eyes.
“My Mum always said I am nice looking. But I remember catching a reflection of myself in the mirror one day, and I was like, oh, I looked f*** I just looked really f***.
“It was quite shocking to me.”
Chelcee then asked the dad-of-three about his relationships and how drinking affected those.
Spencer admitted: “I feel sorry for my exes because they had to date me.
“I think I was at a stage of my life where I was incredibly selfish and would just put myself first completely and only cared about having fun.”
He continued: “If it’s a detrimental habit to your life, then try and change the habits.
“I no longer have the habit of drinking alcohol. So I don’t actually ever really feel like drinking alcohol.
“I’m not anti-drinking alcohol. It’s just kind of like my mate called me and was like, ‘Oh, hey, you know let’s go for a pint because it’s sunny’, I’ll just come, I don’t need the pint.”
The star, who is the founder and CEO of the Clean Liquor Company, has previously said he is a "better husband and father" when sober.
He said: "I feel like I’m a better husband and father, sober. But if my kids want to go out and get drunk with their friends when they’re of age, I’ll say, ‘Sure, go and drink and have fun, no problem’.”
For advice or support to stop drinking visit the NHS website.
Big Fish with Spencer Matthews is available on Global Player.
