Matt Willis has said life "wouldn't be worth living" without his wife Emma and their family, admitting he is aware he would "lose" her if he relapsed. The Busted star spoke candidly on his mental health and addiction-focused podcast, On the Mend, where he also revealed that the first time he ever fell in love was with the Strictly Come Dancing host, his wife of 18 years.
A feeling he mistook at first
Matt, who married Emma in 2008, said that in those early days, he mistook the feeling for simply not wanting to "live without her" - but later realised that he was, in fact, in love. He explained how he came to realise what "that feeling was": "And it was shown to me, freely given, and it was amazing, but it was definitely much later in my life that I realised what that feeling was."
As he attempted to articulate his thoughts about his wife further, Matt said: "I'm just not...there's certain things which I don't think I could ever, like, sum up in a paragraph, what she's meant to me and what the feelings I have for her [are] and our life. I don't think I could ever, ever do it justice. I don't know what my life would be without that feeling that I get, and wouldn't be worth living. I can't believe I'm 43, you know?"
An incredible life together
The Love Is Blind presenter, who shares three children with Emma - Isabelle, Ace and Trixie - continued: "But I can't imagine being 43 without her, you know? Do you know what I mean? It's like, when I think of the last, like, since Isabelle was born, I feel like a different person back then. But I feel like I managed to do this incredible life with this woman who makes me better and also challenges me and holds me to account."
Later, the conversation shifted to the role Emma plays in Matt's recovery today. He says she's a "constant" part, a constant reminder of what he'll "lose" if he relapses. Matt said Emma has been with him through "thick and thin".
Emma's role in his recovery
He shared: "She makes sure that I'm on the straight and narrow, and she worries about me, and I don't resent her for that." He went on to say that, inevitably, Emma will "always be worried" about him, but it remains his job to "convince" her that he's okay.
Matt is known for being candid about his past struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, most notably in the BBC documentary, Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction. Catch Matt on Cooking with the Stars on ITV tonight (October 12), from 7.30pm to 8pm.
