Matt Willis has admitted he finds his eldest child's move into adulthood "really difficult," describing the current period as the "hardest" stage of parenting so far.
Speaking on the On the Mend podcast with Jeff Brazier, the musician and TV presenter opened up about his feelings as his 17-year-old daughter becomes more independent. He revealed he misses her and struggles with not being needed as much as before.
Struggling with a 'strange period of time'
Matt explained: "My eldest is 17 right now, and I think about, like, stages of kids' lives, right? And I'm like, if I'm honest, if she ever watches this, which she won't, but I find this period the hardest, which is so strange 'cos I never thought it would be."
He described his daughter as "amazing," "incredible," and "a really powerful, independent woman," yet admitted: "I miss her, you know, and I find it really difficult at the moment because I don't want to be that guy who goes, 'Hey, what about me?' You know, but I'm like, I'm finding it such a strange period of time, you know?"
Matt added: "Obviously, you've dealt with that with your boys like that, but kind of like, oh, they're getting older now, and I'm not needed as much as I was, you know. Maybe I am, but in a different way that I haven't fully come to terms with yet."
Empty nesting and family dynamics
Jeff Brazier responded: "It's like I'm just starting to get to grips with whatever this thing empty nesting is. And I think as men, we might have thought that it only applies to the mums."
Matt shares three children with his wife Emma Willis: Isabelle, born in 2009, Ace, born in 2011, and Trixie, born in 2016. The couple, who married in 2008, currently host the UK edition of Love Is Blind, while Emma recently joined the presenting team of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing alongside Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe.
Emma has previously described Matt as the "fun" parent, joking he is like a "fourth child," and praised his "fantastic bond and relationship" with their children on the Dadpod podcast earlier this year.
Chris Moyles exchange
The comments follow a recent on-air exchange between Matt and Chris Moyles on Radio X, where Moyles told him his wife needed to "up her game." Moyles, struck by Matt's appearance, called him "smouldering" and claimed he was "never an ugly man" nor had he ever been overweight.
Matt responded that "not taking drugs and drinking" every day was responsible for his transformation. Moyles quipped: "Is that what that does? Look what—look at... Emma Willis is lucky, isn't she?" He added: "Let's be honest now, your wife — if I can say — very handsome woman. Very likeable, very talented, lovely, beautiful. She's punching now with this, though, isn't she? She's got to up her game."
Matt replied: "Not if social media comments can be taken in. I don't think she'd agree with that, but yeah. Yeah, man, you know, I mean, like I said, you know, not drinking and taking drugs every day does tend to have that effect on you."
