Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction is a new, raw documentary that follows the Busted musician as he opens up about his struggles with substance abuse.
The BBC documentary follows the singer as he opens up about his past explaining how it has pushed him to the edge, and his daily struggle to keep himself clean and sober. He also speaks about the fear of relapse and the pressure that puts on himself and his family.
In a new teaser, Matt has spoken about his wife Emma, and how he was worried his addiction would cause her to leave. He said: "I thought she would leave me many, many times.
"I’m so grateful she didn’t and that she could see something in our relationship that was worth holding on to. And it was — we have three kids and we’re very happy."
WhatToWatch spoke to Matt to hear more. Here's everything you need to know about Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction and the interview with Matt...
Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction release date
Matt's documentary airs at 9 pm on Wednesday, May 17 on BBC One. It will also be available on demand via BBC iPlayer.
Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction premise
Matt's new documentary will shed light on some of the struggles he's faced when it comes to drugs and alcohol, and how it's had a negative effect on his career and relationships.
According to the BBC: "The film looks back at some of Matt’s darkest days as he begins to explore what could be behind his addiction. Through meeting and talking with others, he tries to understand why he and fellow addicts become dependent on drugs and alcohol, what help is available, and what the latest developments in treatment are. Matt and his brother revisit their childhood home to see if the roots of his addictions can be found in their past.
"He visits the rehab unit in Bournemouth, The Providence Project, that made a real difference to his recovery and where he spent four weeks in 2008 before his marriage to Emma Willis, coming out the day before his wedding, clean and sober.
"He joins a meeting at the centre, talking with current clients about their addiction and recovery experiences. Matt also travels to Imperial College London to meet a research team who are studying the differences between the brains of people in addiction and those of people who aren’t, and looks at treatments to help people in the long and often difficult road to recovery."
They add: "As well as his personal journey, the film captures the unwavering support Matt has from his bandmates, friends and family, in particular his wife Emma. Together, he and Emma travel to a leading charity in Glasgow that supports the relatives of addicts. Here, they meet the children, parents and spouses of people struggling with addictions."
What does Matt Willis say about the documentary and did he have any reservations about making it?
"In the past I’ve shied away from talking about it because I’ve been worried it will turn into a scandalous headline," says Matt, 40. "But I’ve reached a stage where I’m ready because this is not just my story, this is lots of people’s story and I’ve seen the benefits that being honest about addiction can have."
"I did have reservations about making it because it is incredibly personal and the further we went along with filming the more personal it became but I trusted Hannah the director who was there for every second.
"Emma and I have always been quite private as a family unit so this is a big opening behind the curtain. One of the biggest things about addiction is seeing the ripple effect on everyone around you and the people you love. It was important people see it's not just about the addict, it seems into all areas of your life."
The hour-long film begins with his tearful wife, Emma, 47, revealing the diaries she kept which detailed the amount of drugs and booze her husband was consuming on a daily basis.
"I knew I was going down a road I wasn’t going to be able to turn back from" says Matt who was in rehab again at The Providence Project in Bournemouth, just before his and Emma’s wedding day. ‘I was going to lose everything and I wanted to stay alive."
Interview with Matt Willis
Matt says, "There were lots of those moments. I'd known I'd had a problem for years and years but I just tried to hide it until it was unhideable. It got to the point where I was saying 'Sorry' every five minutes but still drinking and then those sorrys become meaningless. You only have a certain amount of time with people. You only have a certain amount of Get Out Of Jail cards in life and I was running out of them."
You talk in the documentary about how your addiction has affected you emotionally but has it affected you physically too?
"Yes. I've had lots of problems, heart problems, breathing problems and I was always covered in bruises because I'd be so drunk I was falling over all the time and not actually realising just how much I'd hurt myself. I had health checks and I was was in a pretty bad way. It has taken a long time to get my health back and it's something I take really seriously now. I'm a bit obsessed with health and nutrition these days."
Are you having ongoing therapy for your addictions?
"Yes, I've been in therapy for years and I'm really not shy about talking about it but I'm in the lucky position of being able to get it. The elephant in the room throughout the entire documentary is funding. Everywhere we went and everyone we spoke to that issue came up. We went to a detox unit in central London and it had 11 beds and it was the only NHS detox unit within 32 boroughs. 11 beds for everyone within the M25! So unless you can afford to pay for it, what can you do? That was the hardest thing for me to see because so much more funding and money is needed to help people."
Have you considered how you'll talk to your children about your struggles with addiction as they get older and do you think this film is something they may watch?
"My kids know I don't drink and I've been as open as I can with them about it. I've told them that alcohol doesn't work for me. Words like "addict" and "addiction" are quite scary worlds for a ten year old but our eldest is 14 and we're planning to watch the documentary with her.
"I think being as open and honest with your kids and having real conversations with them is important and Emma and I have always been like that. My eldest and I talk very openly with each other and I think that is an amazing thing and so cool. I didn't have that relationship with my own parents."
This documentary also shows the strength of commitment between you and Emma, it's almost like a love story too....
"Yes. Emma is an absolutely unbelievable woman. I have caused her so much pain and agony but she saw something in me which I didn't see myself. We move forward together as a couple. We renewed our wedding vows ten years after we got married which was a really big thing for me. We went back to the same place and it was just an incredible day and I absorbed every second of it. For our original wedding day I'd only been out of rehab for three days and I was kind of like gripping my chair for dear life. This time we had our children with us too and it was such a special day."
Do you think things would have turned out very differently for you if you hadn't met Emma?
"Yes. Who knows what would have happened. I was surprised she was still dating me after a few few weeks. I was like I can't believe I've got this girl who is so amazing. She was always in my phone as 'Fit girl from MTV' I was blown away that she wanted to be in relationship with me back then. I'm still blown away."
How are you feeling these days?
"I am in a place in my life that I like now. Regrets are difficult because regrets breed shame. I don't think I would be here had I not gone through all that stuff but I'm sad that I put people through so much mess. It’s hard to look at an addict who is destroying everyone’s lives with an empathetic eye but the more we treat addiction with empathy, the better. I hope this documentary can start a conversation, I hope it reaches people who need it."
Is there a trailer?
Yes, a short trailer has been released and it shows Matt reflecting on his experiences, particularly his fear of relapse and the potential disastrous effects of it.
You can watch the 20 second teaser below.
