Matt Willis has said that he and his wife Emma are “so much stronger” since he publicly opened up about his addiction.
Matt, who rose to fame in the early 2000s with Busted bandmates James Bourne and Charlie Simpson, has been sober for more than five years. He is the subject of the BBC One documentary titled Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction, which was released in May.
Portions of Fighting Addiction explore how Matt’s’ drug addiction, which was so severe that he was once ingesting six grams of cocaine a day, impacted his family. He and Emma, who wed in 2008, share three children: Isabelle, 14, Ace, 10, and Trixie, six.
Speaking on Friday’s edition of Loose Women (7 July), and reflecting on the impact of the documentary, Willis told the ITV hosts that he and Emma’s relationship had gotten stronger since he chose to be open about his addiction.
Matt admitted that, before making the documentary, Emma, who is a TV presenter, was “reluctant” to appear in it, but it ended up being an “amazing” outcome for them.
“There is something about kind of dredging up the past,” he explained.
“In our relationship it’s not like we didn’t ever talk about that stuff but it was kind of, that was then and this is now, and we move forward.”
“But by doing that, kind of going through it, it was amazing for us,” Matt added.
Matt and Emma Willis in ‘Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction’— (BBC)
The “Year 3000” singer said: “We have kind of come out of it so much stronger.
He added: “We have talked about so many things that we never have talked about and should have, maybe. Well, definitely should have. And it has made us so much stronger.”
At the time of the documentary’s release, BBC viewers were left stunned by Matt’s “brutal honesty” and openness about his addiction journey, but many turned their praise towards Emma for “standing by” her husband through the darkest of times.
The musician said that he was “terrified” for the show to be released, and found the reaction from fans to be “overwhelming”.
Matt and Emma first met in 2004, a year after Busted released its second studio album. At the time, she was an MTV presenter. They started dating the following year, by which time Matt began going in and out of rehabilitation centres to treat his addictions. Matt is now sober and continues to raise awareness about alcohol and drug addiction.
Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
If you have been affected by this article, you can contact the following organisations for support: actiononaddiction.org.uk, mind.org.uk, nhs.uk/livewell/mentalhealth, mentalhealth.org.uk.
If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here.
In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP.
