MATT Willis kicked off his career in the spotlight in the early noughties when he joined the band Busted.
Now over two decades later, as well as being a rock star he has forged a career as a TV and theatre actor.
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Who is Matt Willis?
Singer-songwriter, actor and presenter Mathew James “Matt” Willis was born on May 8, 1983.
He grew up in Tooting, south London and is best known for being a member of the boy band Busted.
Matt got the bug for being an entertainer when he attended the famous Sylvia Young Theatre School in Marylebone, London.
It was there he met showbiz friends like Lee Ryan, Tom Fletcher, Billie Piper, and the late Amy Winehouse.
When did Matt and Emma Willis marry?
On July 5, 2008, Matt married his girlfriend of three years, Emma Willis (formally Griffiths), at Rushton Hall, Northamptonshire.
They marked their 10th wedding anniversary in July 2018 by renewing their vows with a star-studded do at the same swanky venue.
TV star Stephen Mulhern officiated the bash after getting specially ordained for the day.
A friend told The Sun at the time: “It was a wonderful day, full of love and celebration and there was a cheeky screen to watch the England versus Sweden World Cup game.”
Does Matt Willis have children?
Matt has three children with wife Emma.
They have a daughter Isabelle, who was born in June 2009, and a son Ace, born in November 2011.
In May 2016, Emma gave birth to another baby girl, who they named Trixie Grace.
When did Matt Willis join Busted?
Matt first found fame as one-third of Busted alongside Charlie Simpson and James Bourne.
Their most remembered tunes include Year 3000, What I Go To School For, and You Said No.
The band disbanded in 2005 due to Charlie leaving to pursue other projects.
On November 10, 2015, Busted announced that the band were set to reform with a new tour.
Busted released their third studio album, Night Driver, in 2016.
The boys headed back out on the road in Spring 2019.
Then in 2023 Busted revealed they were reuniting again for a new album and tour.
When did Matt Willis join McBusted?
Matt’s big return to music after his solo career saw him reunite with one of his ex-Busted bandmates – James – and with the band McFly to form the supergroup, McBusted.
The boys enjoyed two successful sell-out tours and released their debut album in December 2014.
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The self-titled album landed in the UK Top 10 and sold over 100,000 copies.
McBusted has been on hiatus since the original Busted trio reformed.
What TV shows has Matt Willis been in?
In December 2006 Matt was crowned King of the Jungle on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!.
This was despite going into the final day as the 8-1 underdog against Myleene Klass and Jason Donovan.
Matt says he lost two stone in weight while in the jungle.
The following two years, he co-presented ITV2 spin-off show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me out of Here! Now, alongside his wife Emma.
He’s appeared in The Bill, Casualty, and Marple.
Matt landed a regular TV acting gig in 2014, when he played Garth Stubbs in the revival of Birds Of A Feather on ITV.
He did not return for the second series due to McBusted commitments and was replaced by Samuel James.
Matt has also appeared in the short-term role of Luke Riley in EastEnders, the boyfriend of returning character Stacey Branning (Lacey Turner).
What theatre shows has Matt Willis been in?
In 2010, Matt reinvented himself as a theatrical actor.
In October that year, it was announced Matt would play Nick in Flashdance: The Musical, a West-End production.
Matt was then offered the role of Chuck in an adaption of Footloose.
He claimed he had “never danced in his life” but later said of the experience that he was “loving it”.
Late 2011 also saw Matt take on the role of Fiyero in Wicked the musical.
He continued the role until October 2012, when he was replaced by Ben Freeman.
Since then Matt has starred in Waitress, and Little Shop Of Horrors.
What has Matt Willis said about his drug and alcohol addiction?
After Busted came to an end, Matt entered rehab in 2005 for alcohol addiction and he returned in 2016 for an addiction to cannabis.
Speaking to The Sun’s Fabulous magazine in February 2017, Matt revealed: “It’s still something that I work on, and I think about sobriety every day.
“I can’t allow myself to go near anything that is a danger, so it’s constantly on my mind.
“Now I don’t drink, take drugs or painkillers.
“I don’t take anything because I’ve learned that I don’t behave the same way as other people.
“If there’s anything you can take too far, I’ll take it too far.”
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