Spencer Matthews, the former star of "Made in Chelsea," faced public criticism after admitting during an interview at Wimbledon that he did not recognize British tennis player Arthur Fery. The incident occurred on Thursday while Matthews was attending the tournament with his wife, Vogue Williams.
In a video shared by journalist Rags Martel, Matthews was asked about Fery, who was competing in the semi-finals. Matthews responded, "I don't know who Arthur Fery is mate." Martel expressed surprise, noting that Fery was the last British player remaining in the competition. Matthews, appearing red-faced, apologized and wished Fery luck.
Vogue Williams humorously commented, "Even I knew that," adding to the public reaction.
Online commenters criticized Matthews for attending a major sporting event without being aware of the participants, with some suggesting that tickets should be given to more knowledgeable fans. Comments included sentiments like, "Walking into Wimbledon and not knowing the Semi final player is insane," and "This is why people get annoyed at ‘influencers’ getting invites for free."
Arthur Fery, 23, has had a notable run at Wimbledon, reaching the semi-finals as a wildcard. He defeated prominent players such as Grigor Dimitrov and Flavio Cobolli. Fery is only the second wildcard player in the history of the All England Club to reach this stage of the tournament. His parents, Olivia and Loïc Fery, were present to support him. By reaching the semi-finals, Fery had already secured a minimum prize of £900,000.
Several celebrities were in attendance at Wimbledon on Friday to watch the matches, including Keira Knightley and her husband James Righton, actors Lesley Manville and Richard, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Martin Freeman. Sandi Toksvig, Baz Luhrmann, Anna Wintour, and Damian Lewis were also seen in the Royal Box.
Separately, Vogue Williams has been engaged in a public exchange with Lee referencing an Instagram rant. Williams, during an episode of her podcast "My Therapist Ghosted me" with Joanne McNally, discussed her issues with Lee's online behavior, which she described as attempting to make people believe fabricated stories. She stated her belief that he lacks intelligence and that she dislikes being drawn into his disputes.
Lee had previously posted on Instagram, vowing to expose individuals from the celebrity world whom he accused of speaking negatively about him. He also claimed to have never heard of Vogue Williams and had to search for her online.
Williams responded to these comments on her podcast, playfully suggesting that Lee's claims of her chasing clout were hypocritical, given his own actions. The exchange escalated when Williams sent a direct message to Lee, humorously asking if he could reschedule his planned online content to an earlier time due to her pregnancy. Lee replied, congratulating Williams and her partner on their impending baby, while also hinting at further content related to recent events.
Williams and McNally speculated whether Lee was genuinely participating in the exchange or making light of the situation. When a teaser for the podcast episode was shared on Instagram, Lee responded with laughing emojis.
