Emma and Matt Willis' sweet relationship timeline revealed
13 August 2025, 17:38
Love Is Blind UK hosts Emma and Matt Willis have been together for over 20 years and share an incredibly strong bond.
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Emma Willis and Matt Willis are helping the UK find romance on Love Is Blind UK, as many of the contestants are keen to emulate their strong connection.
The former Big Brother host and her Busted bassist husband have been together for 20 years, welcoming three children and taking on a number of projects together. However it hasn't all been plain sailing, as Matt has opened up about his addiction issues which took a toll on his marriage to Emma.
Despite these troubles, the pair remain a united front and have become one of the UK's most favourite famous couples.
Here is a timeline of Matt and Emma's loving relationship from first meeting, marriage, kids and health scares.
First meeting in 2004
Emma and Matt first met when she interviewed him and his Busted bandmates back in 2004, however they didn't start dating until a year later.
Speaking about meeting her future husband, Emma said on Shopping With Keith Lemon: "He was walking past and I thought, ‘underneath all that make-up, he’s actually quite cute.' Then we met with a bunch of mutual friends and that was the first time we properly met outside of work. There was a bit of smooching."
The TV presenter also told the Mirror: "I was physically attracted to Matt before I fell in love with him. He was - and still is - the most charismatic person I've ever met. As well as funny and kind."
Matt added: "I remember the first time I hung out with Emma. Nothing happened. But I walked back to my hotel thinking: 'Oh my god! That is the coolest f****** girl I've ever met.’ I remember that very vividly."
- Read more: Inside Emma and Matt Willis' £1.7m family home
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Married in 2008
After getting engaged in 2007, Emma and Matt said 'I do' a year later at Rushton Hall, Northamptonshire, surrounded by the family and friends.
There were also a fair few celebrity guests in attendance including the McFly boys, Holly Willoughby, David Guest, Jason Donovan, Kara Tointon and Heidi Range.
Read more: Matt Willis gives advice to new parents taking their kids on holiday for the first time
First child born in 2009
The lovebirds welcomed their first child Isabelle in 2009, whom Emma credits as being the catalyst to Matt's dedication to his sober journey.
During an interview with The Telegraph, Emma confessed: “What really changed him was our daughter, Isabelle. Isabelle was his real…'Oh God, I’m going to start crying. Isabelle was his real focus.' He was already doing it [recovery] himself, then she arrived and that made him even more determined."
Speaking to Fabulous Magazine in 2021 about the impact Isabelle had on his recovery, Matt revealed: "I quit alcohol a few months into Isabelle’s life and I just hope she wasn't impacted by [me drinking] at all."
Second child born in 2011
Emma gave birth to the couple's second child, Ace, in 2011, with whom she shares a special relationship with.
Speaking about how she and Matt learn from Ace, Emma told Michelle Visage on her Rule Breakers podcast: "As he grew, we just learned more and more from him, and he really opened our eyes. And he’s just a phenomenal little boy. He’s amazing."
Third child born in 2016
The pair's third chid, Trixie, was born in 2016, however ten months after her birth Matt headed on the road as Busted were going tour.
Matt relapses in 2017
Ten months after Trixie's birth Matt relapsed whilst on tour, telling the Life of Bryony podcast in 2024: "Addicts are very good at hiding everything. I’m yet to meet a stupid addict. They’re conniving and manipulative. It’s not rock ‘n’ roll. It wasn’t glamorous, it was really sad."
Speaking in 2023 about how she coped with Matt's addiction, Emma revealed: "It's often much easier to walk away than stay and fight for something. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely situations that aren't worth fighting for. But in our situation it was 100% worth fighting for.
"I knew Matt was the right person for me, I knew he was unwell but I also knew he didn't want to be unwell. I knew it was worth fighting for. I knew that I would never leave him."
Matt also disclosed: "I always knew I could get clean...I always knew I had to, I always knew I wanted to because I wanted her. I knew there was something worth fighting for and that's what got me through all those dark times."
Couple celebrate 10 years married in 2018
After ten years of marriage, Matt took so Instagram to pay tribute to his wife, writing: "I actually managed to hang on to her for 10 years... I’m still not sure how? I know I’m punching before you all comment that! I am the luckiest guy in the world. I get to spend the rest of my life with this kind beautiful powerful woman.
"She is the most amazing wife and mother and I could not be more proud to be her husband. Thank you for the best years of my life... ❤️❤️btw, I took 20 of these photos before I got one where she was not blinking because of the flash. 🤦🏻♂️"
Matt and Emma release documentary in 2023
The couple took part in a documentary titled Matt Willis: Addiction and Me which saw the pair open up about Matt's recovery and the impact it had on their relationship.
Speaking about making the revealing documentary, Emma said on the How To Be In Love podcast: "I was terrified making the doc. I'd never done something like that. It was so long in the past that we'd lived that, I was like, do I want to feel that again, do I want to bring it up, what is going to come up. I was scared. Have we dealt with it?
"That was like therapy, that changed quite a lot. I was worried about what they would ask me, I was worried about what I would say, I never wanted to say anything that would be offensive to him."
Confessing what Matt said to her about the programme, Emma stated: "He said to me, 'you have to be super honest in it. We're making something to try and help people and unless we're both honest, it's not going to do that.'"
Emma has a health scare in 2025
In 2025 Emma underwent heart surgery after doctors discovered a hole in her heat which had gone undetected her entire life.
After going through this emotional experience, Emma revealed Matt stayed by her side throughout and the future is looking bright for the couple who seem more in love than ever.
Speaking to the Mirror about their connection, Emma said: "I mean, hopefully we'll still be going in another 20 years or 30 years or 40 years and then we'll be in a box together!
"We like to keep our eye across everything. So we don't drop the ball, we make sure we have time for each other and prioritise that."
Matt added: "Having children for us was such a massive thing. It changed everything. It takes it to a whole new level. It's bonkers but I love it."
