Matt Willis has admitted that he felt 'guilty' about distancing himself from Amy Winehouse prior to her death from alcohol poisoning, aged 27. The Busted star, 43, struck up a close friendship with Winehouse after growing up in London together and attending the same drama school.
However, as Willis dealt with his own addictions, he and Winehouse drifted apart so that he could get clean ahead of his wedding to Emma Willis. In a new interview, Willis reflected on this period of his life and the tragic death of his friend, which he says brought him a lot of guilt.
Guilt and grief over lost friendship
Speaking to the Sunday People, Willis said: 'It hit me like a ton of bricks, I had a lot of guilt. I loved her so much, we were really close.'
'When she died I was clean. I hadn't seen her for a while because I had to remove myself from everyone, from places that were dangerous, and then she died.'
'And I felt some guilt about that because I was like "I had something to pass on to you," and I didn't get the chance to do that.'
Shared history and sobriety
In 2019, Willis recalled how he and the Back to Black singer attended Sylvia Young drama school together as teenagers. He told The Mirror that they had 'shared a kiss' but were ultimately 'really good mates.'
The singer later told The Guardian that once he got sober, 'she didn't want me around [and] I didn't really want to be around her and her mates.' He continued: 'I was trying to keep myself as safe as possible.'
Following her death in 2011, Willis wondered whether he should have tried to help his friend. 'She wouldn't have listened, but I always think: "Would she, if I'd really tried?" That's a big regret for me.'
Emma Willis's role in his recovery
He now credits wife Emma with saving him from drugs and alcohol. 'If I didn't have her, I don't know where I would have ended up,' he told The Telegraph. 'When you hit rock bottom, eventually you want to turn your life around. But having someone that loved me was massive.'
'Knowing I had her was enough for me to go, "OK, maybe I'm worth doing this for."'
Willis and Griffiths first met while working at MTV in 2004, and announced their engagement after a trip to Venice in 2007. They tied the knot in July 2008, and welcomed the first of their three children, Isabelle, a year later. Son Ace was born in 2011, followed by daughter Trixie Grace in 2016. To coincide with their tenth wedding anniversary, the couple renewed their vows during a ceremony in 2018.
'I wanted to help him,' the Strictly star told The Telegraph in 2020. 'Your relationship progresses and you realise that there is a real issue, and it's not just a young kid who has got a lot of money very quickly.'
