Spencer Matthews will complete a gruelling 30 desert marathons in 30 days to feel ‘closer’ to his late brother Michael who went missing while climbing Mount Everest

Spencer Matthews says he is completing the grueling Great Desert Challenge, which involves running 30 marathons in 30 days, to feel closer to his tragic brother.

The former Made In Chelsea star’s older brother Michael never returned after climbing Mount Everest in 1999 at the age of 22. Spencer has since filmed a Disney+ documentary about his mission to find and retrieve his body.

Taking on such a huge challenge gives Spencer a bond with his brother that he otherwise wouldn’t have felt. He talks about how Michael is still his biggest inspiration.

Spencer will attempt to break the Guinness World Record later this month in the Arabian Desert. He has been fully committed to an intensive training regime, but has already suffered an injury that has delayed his running preparation by six weeks.

Spencer, 35, tells MailOnline in an exclusive interview that he will use the memory of his brother as motivation to complete the 780-mile challenge.

He said: ‘Michael is an inspiration to me, especially when I do something like this.

‘I think about him a lot and feel connected to him when I do things like this.

‘There’s something called thin space that I love. I learned about it when I was filming Pilgrimage for the BBC.

‘It’s that feeling or moment between heaven and earth, where you see something really beautiful, or a gust of wind or something.

“When I do these kinds of challenges, I often feel like I’m in a slump, exhausted, tired, and then you can feel very beautiful and transformative – and in those moments I feel close to him.”

Spencer will be running in extremely high temperatures, sometimes even above 45 degrees. The trip can be compared to a trip across the entire United Kingdom, but then through the desert.

To qualify for the record, each marathon must be completed in under six hours and entirely on sand.

Spencer explains: ‘The idea for the challenge came about around Christmas/New Year last year.

‘At that time, the idea was to run 30 marathons in 30 days in the Sahara desert, because that’s where the Marathon des Sables was held. I had a really great experience there. It was really tough at times, but in the end I really enjoyed it.

‘It is considered the toughest running race in the world, but this one is about five times as long and the conditions are pretty much the same.

‘I got faster and stronger during that experience, but I was much less prepared than I am now. So I really want to push the boundaries of what is possible and compete with myself.

“It’s a world first, I’m not going after someone else’s record. I want to raise the bar and encourage people to run and show them that with a bit of determination it’s possible.”

His transformation into an ultramarathon runner is even more impressive given that he was one of London’s most notorious party animals during his Made In Chelsea days from 2011 to 2015.

That life is now far behind him. He is now married to Irish model and presenter Vogue Williams and father of children: Theodore, five, Gigi, three and Otto, two.

Spencer, who is now a teetotaler and owns the alcohol-free drinks brand CleanCo, admits he feels “ashamed” of how much he used to drink.

He said: ‘I’ve gone from a shocking relationship with alcohol, where I was actually ashamed, to a situation where I feel very happy and comfortable.

‘The things that have made a huge difference to my overall health are: hardly ever drinking, minimal amounts of alcohol, exercise, good sleep and the right supplements.’

Spencer says his wife and children motivate him even more to complete the challenge and he dreams of celebrating with them at the finish line.

He hopes that Vogue, 38, will no longer worry about him by then.

He said: ‘Vogue is very concerned. I have reassured them on many levels that I will be supported.

‘Every morning I take a pill that sends my body temperature to the car in front of me via Bluetooth. They can then see live how warm my body is. If the temperature reaches 40 degrees, they get a signal to adjust my breathing, to breathe more slowly and to bring my body temperature back to 38/39 degrees. We are very well prepared for this.’

Spencer added: ‘Vogue is planning on coming out at the end with Theodore and Gigi, hopefully. Group hug at the end will be amazing, I’ll probably cry for the first time in years.’

To feel as fit and vital as possible for the challenge that begins at the end of July, Spencer Heights takes Supplements. He is convinced that this product promotes his recovery.

Spencer, a former cynic, admits he’s only just begun to believe in the benefits supplements can have on your body. He says he can literally feel the difference in the three weeks he’s been taking Heights, with whom he’s partnered to run the marathons.

He said: ‘I also started taking supplements, which I never really believed in. I always thought multivitamins and fish oil were rubbish and not something I really needed.

‘I’ve never had to perform at this level before and you can understand why professional athletes take supplements. It’s necessary to recover well and sleep better.

“I take Heights, my coach recommended it, Vogue takes them and it’s a supplement for your brain and your gut. You really feel a huge difference. I feel my recovery is much better. I feel that extra 10 percent. I started Heights three weeks ago and I can already feel the difference.”

Spencer is raising money for Global’s Make Some Noise, which partners with a number of small charities across the country.

• To donate £30 text SPENCER30 to 70766, 100 percent of donations will go to Global’s Make Some Noise

• By donating £30 – £1 for each marathon you could provide a vital support session for a pre-school age child with a physical disability, delivered by a dedicated specialist worker.