BOOK REVIEW: Confessions of a Chelsea Boy by Spencer Matthews

Confessions of a Chelsea Boy by Spencer Matthews. 

Title: Confessions of a Chelsea Boy
Author: Spencer Matthews
Genre: Autobiography
Publisher: Sidgwick & Jackson
Publication Date: 26th September 2013
Synopsis: Charming, funny, a good friend, a less than perfect boyfriend, Spencer Matthews is one of the most talked-about stars of E4's Made in Chelsea. But what lies behind his sometimes controversial behaviour? In Chelsea Boy, his honest and revealing autobiography, Spencer opens up about life before the cameras,including growing up on the beautiful island of St Barths where his parents own the exclusive Eden Rock hotel. He also writes movingly about the devastating loss of his brother on Everest, and the close family ties that ground him. Spencer describes his antics at Eton, where the masters declared they'd never met a boy like him before (this was not entirely a compliment), and introduces us to his friends Proudlock, Jamie, Hugo and Caggie. He takes us from his first kiss to his many romantic adventures (and misadventures) and describes the four loves of his life so far and why things didn't work out. From St Barths to St Tropez, from London to New York, Spencer also gives us glimpses into his world as he gambles with Hollywood stars, runs away from an enraged Middle-Eastern despot, and narrowly avoids death in a powerboat crash. Sensational, entertaining, full of laughter, this is the real Spenny as you've never seen him before.

{ Review }


Confessions of a Chelsea Boy is the autobiography of Made in Chelsea star, Spencer Matthews. As one of the most popular characters on the show, he is always at the centre of the drama, usually involving girls, and he is particularly known for cheating on his girlfriends. Whether or not you love or hate Spenny, watchers of MIC cannot deny that the show wouldn't be the same without him, and this book gives you a brief glimpse into his life up til now.

This book is written in chronological order and documents the key moments in Spencer's life from his birth until 2013. It documents what it was like moving from England to France to St Barths and then finally back to England with the creation of the famous Eden Rock hotel, owned by his father, on the Caribbean island, St Barthelemy, along the way. It includes anecdotes from his Eton days in terms of education and social life as well as his brief time at USC in America where he studied for a bachelor of arts degree in cinema and television. Of course, it includes lots of details about the parties he's thrown, the parties he's been invited to and the parties he's promoted, as well as how Made in Chelsea came into being. He talks about pretty much every relationship that he's ever been in right from his first kiss, to his relationship with Stephanie Pratt (yep, it's that up to date) including things about him and Funda, Louise and Lucy, fellow MIC stars. The one thing that I wish this book included more of, is his relationship with his MIC 'boys', Jamie, Proudlock and even Hugo. They are, of course, mentioned numerous times, but not as much as I would like.

One of the most common questions when it comes to reality TV shows, such as Made in Chelsea, is: is it real? Spencer's autobiography gives you a good look at what his life has been like both before and after the creation of Made in Chelsea and it allows you to understand his playboy character a lot better. According to Spencer, the action on the show is real, but I believe he once said in an interview that he 'plays to his dark side'. Having read Confessions of a Chelsea Boy, I feel that the Spencer on and off screen are pretty similar, but perhaps the MIC Spencer is slightly exaggerated. But what about those awkward silences, you ask? Well of course there are awkward silences, no one wants to air their dirty laundry out in public! At least not at first...

What's good about this book is that Spencer doesn't preach about what he has learnt in life, instead he tells you straight up what happened and how it affected him. He's had a hell of a lot of life experiences considering how young he is, a lot of them involving him making some not-so-clever decisions, but I admire that Spencer takes full credit for his own actions. The other good thing is that he doesn't try to glamorise his life. He doesn't really encourage the life that he leads, acknowledging that it's not for everyone and it's certainly not normal, but nor does he discourage it. Spencer's writing is really informal and it feels like you're just having a chat as he tells you his life story. Some details are really quite personal which makes you feel like you're getting a bit closer to the real Spencer Matthews as who he is behind the mask of reality television.

So, if you're a fan of Made in Chelsea and you want to know things like how Spencer met Caggie, Hugo, Jamie, Proudlock and the rest of the MIC cast as well as lots of amusing (well, some not so amusing), anecdotes about his youth and what made him the man he is today - then this is the book for you. I'd highly recommend this to fans of MIC and Spencer Matthews because this book is full of interesting and surprising things about his life that I never knew and that you can't find out by stalking him on the internet. He has actually led a far more interesting life that you would imagine and if you want a concise and fascinating insight into his life then this book is what you need. If you don't watch Made in Chelsea you'll probably have very little interest in this book, in which case, the first thing you need to do, is start watching MIC - because, trust me, it's good. The second the you need to do, is buy this book - because, trust me, it's good.

Made in Chelsea returns to our television screens on Monday the 14th Oct 2013 - don't miss it.