An 'irresponsible' Huel advert in which Spencer Matthews boasted that an ultramarathon runner had won a race 'by miles' after only eating the meal replacement has been banned.
asserted
runner → boast → replacement
The former Made In Chelsea star, 38, made the comments to the firm's founder Julian Hearn in a podcast-style conversation.
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star → make → conversation
Matthews said he had met a runner named James during his three-day 230km marathon through the Amazon Rainforest in 2023 who 'doesn't eat any solid meals ever.
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who → say → meals
He eats Huel and only Huel every day'.
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He → eat → Huel
He said: 'Literally, when he told me that, I was like, he's not going to manage the race; it's a 260km [sic] race through the Amazon Rainforest.
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it → say → Rainforest
You know it's quite full on.
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it → know → ?
He won it by miles, like literally just left us all in the dirt.'
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He → win → dirt
James Izzard won that year's ultramarathon nine hours ahead of his nearest competitor.
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Izzard → win → competitor
A beaming Matthews was pictured alongside him, showing off his medal after he finished in third place.
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he → beam → place
Mr Izzard is a seasoned marathon runner who has raised thousands of pounds for blood cancer charity Karen Morris Memorial Trust over the years.
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who → raise → years
In 2022, he completed the gruelling six-day Marathon des Sables - a 250km race across the Sahara Desert billed as 'the toughest footrace on Earth'.
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he → complete → Earth
Matthews took part in the same event the year previous in memory of his late brother Michael, who died in 1999 aged 22 while descending Mount Everest.
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who → take → Everest
An 'irresponsible' Huel advert in which Spencer Matthews boasted that an ultramarathon runner had won a race 'by miles' after only eating the meal replacement has been banned
The former Made In Chelsea star, 38, made the comments to the firm's founder Julian Hearn (pictured) in a podcast-style conversation
A picture posted to Mr Izzard's Facebook page during a 2022 trip to Kathmandu in Nepal showed a Huel enamel mug resting on the side of a building.
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picture → boast → building
The Huel advert captioned 'Here's how our founder uses Huel.
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founder → caption → Huel
The firm argued the video was intended to dispel the misconceptions that its product should replace meals 100 per cent of the time.
But the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said Matthews's anecdote had 'presented an exclusively Huel-based diet as compatible with completing, and significantly outperforming other competitors, in an exceptionally demanding endurance event'.
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anecdote → argue → event
The ASA said in its ruling that the advert 'encouraged or condoned irresponsible dietary habits', adding: 'While Mr Matthews' initial reaction conveyed surprise and scepticism about the diet, the conclusion of the story directly contradicted those concerns by attributing exceptional sporting performance to an individual who was said to consume no conventional food.'
The watchdog also pointed to Mr Hearn not challenging the suggestion that only eating Huel was inappropriate.
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eating → say → Huel
The Huel founder says in response to Matthews's claims about the runner that 'in an ideal world you should have nutritionally complete whole food' and 'if you could do that for every meal that would be the best solution for life'.
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that → say → life
But he goes on to say: 'Most people either don't do that or can't have the time to do that.
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people → go → that
And therefore that's where Huel fits in the gap.'
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Huel → fit → gap
Mr Hearn had earlier said in the 50-second clip that he has Huel for breakfast and lunch during the workweek as it saves him 'time, effort, and gives you everything you that you do need in the most convenient format possible'.
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you → say → format
A beaming Matthews is pictured (right) with his personal trainer John Belton (left) and The Jungle Ultra race winner James Izzard (centre) in 2023
The former Made In Chelsea star shows off his medal after finishing third in the race
The ASA said it acknowledged that the advert did not explicitly recommend people should replace all of their meals with Huel.
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people → beam → Huel
However, it said it gave the impression that 'exclusively consuming Huel in place of conventional food was nevertheless an acceptable dietary practice and one that was compatible with particularly demanding levels of physical activity and exceptional sporting performance'.
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that → say → activity
The advertising watchdog received four complaints which it upheld for breaching its rules on social responsibility and associated health and nutrition claims of food and food supplements.
uncertain
it → receive → supplements
The ASA ruled the ad must not appear again in its current form.
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ad → rule → form
Huel has also been warned not to encourage exclusive consumption of its product in the future.
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Huel → warn → future
A Huel spokesperson said: 'Huel respects the ASA process and decision and has complied with the ruling.
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Huel → say → ruling
The ad was intended to challenge the misconception that Huel should replace every meal, and we believe that is how most people understood it.
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people → intend → it
We do not position Huel as a complete diet replacement or claim that it improves athletic performance.
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it → position → performance
Matthews is a brand ambassador for Huel and regularly posts on his Instagram to promote the brand.
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Matthews → post → brand
He took part in The Jungle Ultra in 2023 to raise funds for Michael Matthews Foundation in honour of his late brother.
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He → take → brother
After his podium finish, the reality star said: 'The race can be brutally dark and lonely.
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race → say → finish
This was without a doubt the hardest physical challenge I have ever undertaken, although I'm sure it won't be the last.
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it → undertake → doubt
'I gave everything I had to the Jungle Ultra and to be rewarded with a podium position is a real honour.'
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rewarded → give → position
He completed the challenge with his friend and personal trainer John Belton, who placed runner-up.
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who → complete → up
The Daily Mail has contacted Matthews's representative for comment.
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Mail → contact → comment
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