How's THIS for a Made in Chelsea blast from the past? Sorry, we just couldn't wait until #ThrowbackThursday. That's still a thing, right? It certainly was the last time Sophie Hermann and Francis Boulle were on our screens.
Luckily for us, in 2023 celebrity podcasts are keeping even the most dormant MIC cast members – from Jamie Laing to Spencer Matthews – alive and well in our showbiz hearts. We've been dong this job for a LONG, long time, so it's nice to have an outlet to check in on them from time. And luckily for you lot, we decided to check in on MIC icons Sophie and Fredrik Ferrier, by giving their podcast Friends with Benefits a cheeky peruse this week.
And what did we find, we hear you ask? Only some unreported behind-the-scenes X-rated MIC tea from 2013 (i.e. the GOLDEN YEARS of the hit E4 reality series). And when we say X-rated, we mean PHWOAR, lovelies.
On a recent episode featuring current MIC star Gareth Locke, Sophie – who joined the series in 2013, and starred on and off for years before eventually throwing in a no-doubt very posh towel in 2021 – introduced the episode by going off on some bizarre rant about her early days on Made in Chelsea. And thank the heat gods she did, because she ended up spilling some epic tea about OG MIC boys Spencer and Francis.
While discussing her first day on the MIC set in 2013, Sophie revealed that Spencer – who is now married to Vogue Williams – tried to hit on her, recanting him saying, "Sophie, you and I, I can see it happening”. She appeared to laugh it off, suggesting all's well and good between these two SW3 icons.
Then she seemingly took fire at entrepreneur Francis (FYI, she only referred to the man in question as "Francis") revealing that he came up to her and said something rather rude in German (Sophie's native tongue). According to Sophie, Francis said he had a "long schlong in his pants". See – VERY naughty. We've given this a quick Google Translate and it sounds something like, "Ich habe einen großen Schwanz in meiner Hose", btw.
Sophie then went on to reveal that she had to be escorted off the set after suffering a rather nasty wasp sting on her palm shortly after.
It's safe to say all eyes (even those belonging to the flying bug community) were on Sophie on that confusing day in 2013. The whole things sounds like a MIC fever dream rather than reality, but we're oh so glad Sophie chose to divulge all within the first few minutes of this episode.
While we're mentally in 2013, shall we throw things back to a time when MIC star Francis Boulle was the prince of reality telly?
Who is Francis Boulle?
Francis is a Made in Chelsea legend. He is also an entrepreneur.
He was raised in Berkshire, England and attended The Oratory School and was one of the wealthiest stars on the show and he's rumoured to be worth £10 million. He dated Georgia Toffolo and Liv Bentley during his time on the show and has appeared in Tatler’s Eligible Young Bachelor guide multiple times thanks to his wealth and family connections.
When did Francis Boulle star on Made in Chelsea?
Francis joined the cast for the very first series of MIC in 2011. He stayed with the show until 2015, when he left to work in Ghana. He then returned in 2015 and appeared on the series sporadically until 2018, when he left for good.
What does Francis Boulle do for a living?
In his MIC days, Francis was an entrepreneur, reality TV star and mineral explorationist (he dug up diamonds). These days – at least according to his Instagram, he is a Jiu Jitsu competitor.
What does Francis Boulle live?
He now lives in America and appears to share the majority of his time between Dallas and Florida.
Is Francis Boulle single?
No, Francis is dating fashion model Zoé Gegout. The pair have been dating for at least three years. The pair live together in America.
Francis previously had 'a bit of a thing' with Emma Watson in 2008, and he dated former co-star Sophia Sassoon between 2012 and 2013.
Is Francis Boulle returning to Made in Chelsea?
Probably not. He's spoken out in the past about not trusting TV producers, so a return is looking unlikely – especially considering he now lives on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.