Matt Willis has revealed that his compulsive honesty sometimes exasperates his wife Emma, who tells him he does not need to admit to everything. The Busted star opened up during a conversation with singer Tom Grennan on his On The Men podcast, where the pair discussed addiction, sobriety and the impact of their experiences.
Honesty that drives his wife nuts
Matt, 43, explained that being unable to keep things to himself can cause problems at home. He described how his determination to be truthful 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, I can't keep anything in. If I do, it will eventually eat away at me."
No one gets away with anything
The dad-of-two went on to explain why he believes people cannot truly escape the consequences of their actions. He recalled hearing someone recently make the point that "No one really gets away with anything," and said he agreed, explaining that people might believe they have avoided being caught, but they still have to live with their own knowledge of what happened.
Comparing guilt to something that gradually builds up, Tom said: "It's like rot, isn't it? 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." He explained that leaving the problem alone would only allow it to get worse, adding: "If you leave it over time, they will just keep growing and growing and growing and growing."
Sobriety milestones and fatherhood
Tom said being able to confront those feelings and move forward was hugely rewarding, 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."
During the conversation, Matt asked Tom how long he had been sober, with the singer revealing: "It's been a year and two months, mate." Congratulating him, Matt replied: "Yes, bro. That's amazing, mate."
Tom explained that sobriety had helped him become more aware of his surroundings, while fatherhood had given him a fresh perspective on his future. "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 admitted he had previously performed while under the influence, despite believing he was doing his best work, and said he now recognised the importance of respecting the fans who bought tickets to see him.
Emma Willis returns to host The Voice on ITV at 8.30pm on Saturday, October 31.
