In his new BBC documentary, Matt Willis opens up about his drug issues, but while his loved ones, including wife Emma Willis, appear, there is one noticeable exception.
In Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction, the Busted musician, 39, speaks openly about his ongoing issues with substance misuse, which saw him ingest 6 grammes of cocaine per day at one point.
While Matt has been clean for five years, Emma, 47, discusses the impact of his previous relapses on their relationship and family life in the feature-length episode.
Matt also catches up with his brother during a visit to his hometown, where they discuss their youth drinking, and Busted bandmate Charlie Simpson, 37, reveals his experience with the rock icon’s addiction.
However, the documentary does not include the boyband’s third member, 39-year-old James Bourne, despite Matt’s straightforward explanation.
Matt told Metro.co.uk at a press screening and Q&A that James wasn’t included in the documentary since he lives in LA and wasn’t there for the filming, which took place entirely in the UK.
In the documentary, Charlie is seen in the recording studio with Matt, maybe in preparation for their planned reunion tour.
In a voice-over, Matt explains that Charlie was with him ‘during some of his darkest moment’ but that he was ‘very good at keeping them hidden.’
Charlie then recalled they’d ‘had some fantastic moments together,’ mentioning a specific night in Germany that had resulted in Matt vomiting in his bag, which was later brought to an airport.
Charlie asks Matt if being a rockstar ‘amplified’ his addiction issues, with Matt admitting it ‘must have played a part.’
‘I’ve got to say looking back,’ Charlie continues. ‘I was not aware at all of how bad things were.
‘I remember thinking that you were just having a good time and you liked to get drunk but I never saw the darker undercurrents. I think I was a bit naive to it.’
Matt admitted it wasn’t easy, however, getting Emma involved in the documentary, telling Lorraine she ‘took some talking to.’
He continued: ‘We’ve been quite private with our lives, and not really opened up before. I felt like that was such a powerful part of it. She went through everything with me.’
Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction is available to stream on iPlayer.
