How Made In Chelsea's Spencer Matthews found love at first sight in the Bahamas
By Spencer Matthews
I'm no stranger to tropical climes; I lived in St Barts for seven years from the age of six as my dad owns a hotel there. But I'd never been to the Bahamas before and I was barely prepared for how breathtakingly beautiful it was. I was filming some of the final scenes of the reality television show The Bachelor, where I attempted to find romance in beautiful countries such as Italy and France.
Exuma, in the Bahamas, was last on the list and was the destination selected for the final shows. The district consists of more than 360 islands – the biggest being Great Exuma where we stayed. I was there for ten days with the final three girls in the competition and as we filmed our dates for the show we had some great stuff lined up.
I got to fly in a seaplane, jet ski around the island and even swim with sharks. We were staying in the Sandals resort – I'd never stayed anywhere like it before and I was definitely pleasantly surprised. I've never experienced an all-inclusive resort – it's a very dangerous concept! I definitely gained weight over there thanks to that.
All the food is free and the alcohol, too. I think they're hoping that everyone comes on the first night, makes the most of the free bar and then spends the rest of the week recovering. But if you're a young lad with an appetite for a few drinks then I think it's a bit different. They had fantastic cocktails – and it's impossible to resist a good cocktail when you're in a tropical location isn't it? The food was irresistible, too.
I'd have scrambled eggs in the morning and then often a buffet during the day. I ate a lot of fish – if you're anywhere near the sea then you have to eat the fish that's on offer. And I loved all the spicy food. I was working a lot of the time, if you can call it that – I had to take the girls (Chloe, Khloe and Tabby) on days out to get to know them better.
On those days I discovered the absolute charm of our surroundings. Having spent a lot of time in the Caribbean I have been lucky enough to have lived among white sand beaches and turquoise seas, but nothing can really compare to the seas of Exuma.
It was unbelievable, and the water was so shallow and calm, there's no wake whatsoever, which definitely made jet-skiing all the more fun. I went really fast, and close to the shore, too. Swimming with sharks was another thing I'll never forget.
The girl who I took with me, Chloe, was terrified as she has a huge phobia of sharks but she went for it anyway and we had a great time. We weren't in a cage, we just swam with the sharks around us.
It was frightening but I like doing dangerous things, I like the rush of adrenaline you get from experiences such as this. And though Chloe hated every minute of it, I thought it was great that she got involved and did it. It is extremely romantic in the Bahamas. For the show we also did some filming in Tuscany and the South of France, which have a very obvious sense of romance. Out in the Bahamas, though, there's something about the sea air and the deserted beaches that is incredibly tranquil and romantic.
I live in Chelsea in London and the two places couldn't be more different. Besides the weather, London is very organised and fast-moving whereas it's so laid back in the Bahamas. It just has its own charm – you can eat fruit off the trees, it's a very different way of life, which I really enjoyed. It wasn't all work while I was there though, and there was some time to relax, which we liked to do in the bar at Sandals called the Drunken Duck.
We'd get drinks and play pool. We liked to stay within the confines of the hotel, everything was there and because of our early starts in the morning it wasn't the time to be off finding nightclubs on the island. And it was so great within the resort there was no reason to leave. The staff were wonderful and very friendly. You can go to some resorts and the atmosphere isn't great but at Sandals they were so approachable and couldn't do enough for you. The whole place has a very upbeat atmosphere.
I was recognised by a few British people out there, but for the most part it was just very chilled out and a lot of fun. I usually go on holiday to my dad's hotel in St Barts – Eden Rock – and I try to go there as much as possible as I have such happy memories there from my childhood. My other favourite place to travel to is New York, but if I'm looking for somewhere closer to home I'll go to Antibes or Cannes in the South of France.
I speak fluent French thanks to my years in St Barts. Filming The Bachelor was a different experience for me. I loved it but I'm also glad to be back doing the latest series of Made In Chelsea. The show's now shown in 20 countries around the world, with the US rumoured to be picking it up next. Its success has been phenomenal
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