What's going on with Spencer Matthews' documentary on Disney Plus?
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On May 13, 1999, Michael Matthews became the youngest British climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest at the age of 22. However, just hours later, he vanished into a blinding snowstorm – and his body has never been recovered.
In a new documentary titled Finding Michael, the climber's younger brother, former Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews, embarks on a perilous journey up the mountain to find his brother's body and bring him home.
The documentary was set to premiere on Disney+ on March 3, but viewers looking to tune in were left confused when it was coming up as unavailable to watch.
Taking to Twitter, one frustrated person wrote: "Signed back up to @DisneyPlus to specifically watch Finding Michael on the date of release. To find out the date has been pushed back with no date!"
Another added: "@DisneyPlus sort yourselves out! You charge people for the subscription, advertise content then don’t deliver – where is #FindingMichael ? Drop date 3rd March!!!"
So, what's the hold up?
Why has Finding Michael been delayed?
While no official explanation has been given for the delay of Finding Michael, there have been rumours that some last-minute edits were required.
One viewer contacted Disney+ customer services and later tweeted: "Talking to the lovely lady on Customer Service at Disney Customer Service and she has informed me that it was pulled for important re-editing. So the producers took it back."
This remains unconfirmed by the streaming platform, though they did release a statement apologising for the sudden delay and assured viewers that the documentary would be up in the "near future".
"We're sorry that the debut date for Finding Michael has shifted on Disney+," read the statement. "We will let you know as soon as we have new timings for its launch. This will be in the near future. Thanks for your patience."
Spencer released a similar statement of his own, writing on his Instagram Stories: "Apologies to everyone trying to view Finding Michael on Disney+. The debut date has shifted and we’ll update you as soon as we have the new timings."
No other updates have been given since, but once we know more, you can find all you need to know here.
What we do know is that the reality star will be joined in the documentary by an experienced team led by seasoned mountaineer Nirmal Purja.
He'll also get guidance from British adventurist Bear Grylls, who climbed Everest at the age of 23 in 1998 and advised Michael a few months before his own expedition.
"There was definitely a meeting of minds and spirit with a fellow young guy who wanted to stand on top of the world," said Grylls (via BBC). "Obviously then when the disaster happened and Michael never came home it was a devastating blow for everyone."
He added: "Twenty years on to watch Spencer now as a man, as a father, as a husband wanting to try and recover his body and tell Michael's story was a privilege to be a small part of."
As for how he found the experience, Spencer, who was just ten years old when his brother went missing, described his time on Everest as "tough" and "frustrating."
"Living there for over four weeks was tough at times and my family was deeply missed. Nights were uncomfortable, frustrating, long and cold," he said in a promotional clip for the film.
"Periods of deep reflection are a good time to grow and develop as a person and experiencing hardship is essential to understanding yourself better and not taking what you have for granted. I found myself valuing my sobriety and the path that I’m now on.
"Difficult journeys yield the greatest results. I can’t wait for you to see this film!"
Finding Michael will air on Disney+ (eventually).
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