Matt Willis has revealed that his compulsion for honesty occasionally drives his wife Emma 'nuts', as he admits to things she considers unnecessary. The Busted frontman opened up during a candid conversation with singer Tom Grennan on the On The Menu podcast, where the pair explored addiction, sobriety and how their journeys have shaped their lives.
Honesty causes tension at home
Matt, 43, explained that his inability to keep secrets can spark tension at home, sharing the guidance Emma offers when he feels driven to confess all. Reflecting on how his relationships had evolved since becoming sober, Tom told Matt: "I'm more honest with my family. I'm more honest with my friends."
The vocalist acknowledged that before transforming his lifestyle, he would frequently be untruthful with those closest to him. "I just feel like when I was at it, I was lying a lot, and I was just pretending a lot," he explained.
Matt disclosed he could identify with Tom's journey but confessed his own commitment to truthfulness occasionally leaves Emma frustrated. "That's one of the biggest things for me, mate, is that it drives my wife nuts at times because I admit to some s***," he said. "She's like, 'You don't need to f****** admit to that, you know?' But, like, I can't keep anything in. If I do, it will eventually eat away at me."
Confronting guilt and growth
The father of two went on to discuss why he believes individuals cannot truly evade the repercussions of their behaviour, even when they think they've escaped detection. Matt recalled hearing someone recently suggest that "No one really gets away with anything".
He said he shared that view, explaining that while people might think they've avoided being discovered, they must still live with their own awareness of what occurred. Drawing a comparison between guilt and something that slowly accumulates, Tom said: "It's like rot, isn't it?" He continued: "It's like having, like, you know, on the bottom of the boat or something like that, all the barnacles or whatever, growing on the bottom of the boat."
Tom explained that ignoring the issue would simply enable it to worsen, adding: "If you leave it over time, they will just keep growing and growing and growing and growing." He said confronting those emotions and progressing was immensely satisfying, telling Matt: "If you can, if you're able to scrape them off, it's the best feeling in the world." Matt added: "Absolutely, mate. Absolutely. It's changed my life."
Sobriety milestones and new perspectives
During the discussion, Matt also enquired how long Tom had been sober, with the singer disclosing he had achieved a notable landmark. "It's been a year and two months, mate," Tom said. Congratulating him, Matt replied: "Yes, bro. That's amazing, mate."
Tom went on to describe how sobriety had sharpened his awareness of the world around him, while becoming a father had given him an entirely new outlook on life. "After having my daughter, I was like, 'If I carry on doing what I'm doing here, I'm going to lose her,'" he said.
He also confessed to having previously taken to the stage while under the influence, despite believing at the time that he was delivering his finest performances. Tom said he now understood the significance of showing respect to the fans who had paid to watch him perform, adding that sobriety had transformed his connection with music, his family and himself. Emma Willis returns to host The Voice on ITV at 8.30pm on Saturday, October 31.
