Huel rapped for ‘irresponsible’ Spencer Matthews ad

The meal replacement drink company Huel has been criticized by the advertising regulator for an "irresponsible" advertisement featuring Made In Chelsea star Spencer Matthews. The drinks firm, owned by Danish food conglomerate Danone, paid for a promotional video starring Matthews to be posted on Instagram and YouTube. However, both advertisements have been suspended by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which ruled that the video promotes the idea that Huel should replace regular meals.

The video contains a clip of a podcast-style interview between Huel founder Julian Hearn and Matthews. Hearn tells Matthews he eats Huel for breakfast and lunch during the workweek, before having a conventional meal at home. Matthews responds by sharing his experience at an ultramarathon when he met a competitor who "only eats Huel."

Matthews initially expressed skepticism, but later said the competitor won the race "by miles." Hearn then stated that, in an ideal world, people should consume nutritionally complete whole foods, and Huel fills that gap for people who don't have the time to do so. The ASA received four complaints about the advertisement, claiming it suggested Huel could completely replace conventional food.

Huel disputed the regulator's findings, arguing that Hearn disagreed with the notion of using Huel as a complete replacement for regular food. When Matthews shared the ultramarathon anecdote, Huel claimed he expressed "extreme skepticism and disbelief" about the diet. The ASA disagreed, ruling that the video presented the exclusive consumption of Huel in a "particularly positive context."

The regulator concluded that Huel's advertisement "encouraged or condoned the complete replacement of conventional food with Huel, an irresponsible dietary practice." Huel stated that it does not position Huel as a complete diet replacement and does not claim it improves athletic performance.