Vogue Williams’ Alcohol-Free Rule Saved Marriage After Spencer Matthews’ Drinking Crisis

When Vogue Williams walked into her kitchen one evening and found her husband, Spencer Matthews, slumped over the counter with an empty bottle beside him, she didn’t scream. She didn’t cry. She just quietly put the bottle in the bin and said, "This isn’t how we raise our kids." That moment — one of many — became the turning point in a marriage that nearly unraveled under the weight of addiction. Now, nearly three years later, their home in the United Kingdom remains alcohol-free — not out of fear, but by choice. "We never have drink in the house," Vogue told listeners on Elizabeth Day’s podcast. "It’s not because we’re scared we’ll drink it. We just never want it."

It wasn’t always this way. The couple, who met through their appearances on the British reality series Made in Chelsea, built a life centered around glamour, social events, and the kind of late-night parties that come with fame. But by 2021, Spencer’s drinking had escalated beyond casual weekend indulgence. He missed birthdays. He forgot school pickups. He showed up to family dinners with bloodshot eyes and slurred words. "There was a certainty that I would lose Vogue if I carried on drinking the way I was drinking," he confessed on the Everything I Know About Me podcast. The admission wasn’t performative — it was raw, haunted, and honest. And it came after months of silence from Vogue, who had quietly started sleeping in the guest room.

The Breaking Point That Changed Everything

Their third child, Otto, was just six months old when Spencer hit his lowest point. He woke up after a night out with no memory of how he got home, only the sound of his daughter crying and his wife sitting on the stairs, holding a bottle of water instead of wine. "I looked at her," Spencer said, "and I realized I’d become the person I swore I’d never be." He didn’t need therapy. He didn’t need rehab. He just needed to stop. And he did — cold turkey. No gradual reduction. No "I’ll cut back." He simply emptied the cabinets, deleted his wine delivery app, and told friends he was done.

What followed was unexpected. His energy returned. He started waking up early. He began working on a business idea he’d shelved years ago: an alcohol-free spirit brand. In 2022, he launched CleanCo, a line of premium mocktails designed for people who wanted to socialize without the hangover. At first, he was preachy. "I was sanctimonious," he admitted later. "I’d look at someone holding a gin and tonic and think, ‘You have no idea how lucky you are to still be able to enjoy it.’" But over time, he softened. Now, he says he’ll occasionally have a drink — but only when he’s alone, and only after he’s already had a CleanCo.

A Non-Negotiable Rule

Vogue didn’t demand sobriety. She didn’t threaten divorce. She simply made one rule: no alcohol in the house. "It wasn’t about control," she explained. "It was about creating a space where our children wouldn’t grow up thinking drinking is the default way to relax or celebrate." Their three kids — Theodore, Gigi, and Otto — have never seen their parents drink. No birthday cakes with champagne. No New Year’s Eve toasts. No Friday night wine. "It’s normal to us," Vogue said. "It’s just how we live."

The decision had ripple effects. Friends stopped inviting them to pubs. Some assumed they were "judgmental." Others, especially other parents, quietly reached out to say they’d been inspired to cut back. Vogue, who hosts her own podcast and co-runs a lifestyle brand called Affric, says the shift gave her back her husband — and her peace. "He’s more present. He laughs more. He remembers the little things. He’s the man I fell in love with."

Public Scrutiny and Rumors

When Spencer appeared briefly on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of HereAustralia in November 2023 — and quit after just two days — rumors flew. Was it stress? Was it the marriage? Vogue addressed it head-on in an interview with Standard.co.uk. "I could only assume it was because he wasn’t in my content for Affric," she said. "But I’m like, maybe it’s because he’s going away for three weeks." She dismissed the speculation, emphasizing their stability. "We’ve been through worse. We’re not going anywhere."

Spencer’s absence from social media during that time fueled more noise, but Vogue, who returned to the jungle as a campmate, remained publicly supportive. "He’s got his own path," she said. "And I’ve got mine. We’re just walking it together."

What Happens Now?

Today, CleanCo is expanding into the U.S. market, and Vogue continues to build her media empire with appearances on ITV and her own podcast network. They’ve moved into a larger home in the countryside, where the kids run barefoot through the garden and the fridge is stocked with kombucha, sparkling water, and CleanCo’s elderflower tonic.

They don’t call themselves "sober" anymore. They don’t label their life as "recovery." They just live. And for a couple who nearly lost everything to a bottle, that’s the most powerful victory of all.