Busted star Matt Willis has credited Jack Osbourne with helping him get sober. Willis recounted on the On The Mend podcast that while in New Zealand in 2008, he was drinking heavily and ended up in a drunken brawl. At the airport, bruised and battered, he began drinking again when Osbourne approached him.
Willis said: 'He basically said, 'I see what you're doing, and I know you've got a problem, Matt.' When Willis insisted everything was fine, Osbourne offered him a place at a rehab centre in Los Angeles. Willis initially rejected the offer, saying: 'No mate, no, you're off your head, see you later.' He flew back to London instead, but checked himself into rehab three weeks later.
Willis described Osbourne as the 'first person' who 'saw the b******t I was living in and called it out'. Osbourne, who has been open about his own addiction struggles, entered rehab at age 17 and has been sober since 2003. He told Variety that his addiction felt 'inevitable' but fame 'sped things up'.
Willis also spoke about his wife Emma, who stood by him during his darkest moments. He admitted he has never directly apologised to her, saying: 'I don't know if there's enough words to do it justice.' He added that he feels he has been making amends through his actions over time.
Willis explored his sobriety journey in the 2023 BBC documentary Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction, which was praised for its honest portrayal of addiction, relapse and recovery.
