Our wedding day July 21 2010
Matthew met his wife-to-be Amelia in 2007 at a garden party thrown by their mutual friend Dr Miriam Stoppard. Matthew begged her to come with him to a Sparklehorse gig the following night. If only to stop him sending her txts full of the late great Mark Linkous’s fabulously dark lyrics, she agreed. It’s been a wonderful life ever since – well most of the time: their house was destroyed by a flood while they were away tying the knot and then Matthew’s Best Man and nephew Max, pictured below with niece Zoe was tragically killed in an accident six months later. His sister Katie and niece Zoe were overwhelmed by the love and sympathy Matthew’s fans showed during that time and indeed still do now. Thank you.
Max and Zoe
Matthew and Amelia currently live in Primrose Hill with their beloved dog, Wiggy, a mini Schnauzer. Don’t tell the Wigster but they’re in the process of getting him a little chum. Favourite names are currently Stryker or Kevin, the latter in honour of TV critic Kevin O’Sullivan, who makes regular appearances on The Wright Stuff.
Matthew is a patron, fundraiser or asupporter of the following charities; Bobby Moore Fund For Bowel Cancer Research (patron) Beating Bowel Cancer (fundraiser), Cystic Fibrosis Trust (patron), The Wild Trout Trust (supporter), Dignity & Dying (patron) and most recently the All Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre (patron).
Raising awareness and funds for bowel cancer is Matthew’s number one charitable commitment after losing both his dad and Granddad to the disease. Matthew was declared all clear of genetic flaw that doctors believe affected them and other members of his family at a dedicated bowel cancer research lab in the West Middlesex hospital that the Bobby Moore Fund helped to finance. That result meant that the chances of him developing the disease dropped from an 85 per cent probability to the typical 20 per cent chance the rest of us face. Bowel cancer is Britain’s second biggest cancer killer. Matthew wants to change that.
He’s appeared on countless shows spreading the word over the years from Celebrity Mastermind to Fifteen to One, All Star Mr and Mrs to a soon-to-be-screened turn on Pointless Celebrities.
You may also have noticed the continuing face fuzz Matthew’s been sporting since taking part in Beating Bowel Cancer’s Decembeard fundraiser. Apparently he’s going to be smooth-faced again later this summer if only to drum up support for Decembeard again later in the year.
Matthew’s dog Wiggy appeared on Sport Relief’s ‘Top Dog’ on BBC2 in March 2014