TV presenter Emma Willis revealed she underwent keyhole heart surgery after doctors found a hole in her heart. Sharing the news on Instagram, Emmaposted several photos of herself taken in hospital following the procedure and said her husband Matt Willis 'never left [her] side'.
She wrote: 'A big humungous THANK YOU to the team at the Royal Brompton Hospital for their care and support. A few weeks ago, I had keyhole heart surgery, which feels very strange to write, and even stranger when I say it out loud. From investigations last year, to diagnosis and then surgery, they were absolutely incredible. As was @mattjwillis who never left my side.
'Turns out, I’ve been pottering around for 48 years blissfully unaware I had a hole in my heart. Isn’t it bonkers what’s happening in our bodies that we have no idea about… What blows my mind even more is the wonders of modern medicine, and the spectacular people that save, fix and help us every single day.'
Who is Emma Willis' husband?
Emma is married to Matt Wills, a former member of the noughties pop-punk band Busted. He now works as a television personality and presenter, co-hosting Love Is Blind UK with Emma.
How long have Matt and Emma Willis been married?
Matt and Emma have been together for more than 20 years, having first started dating in 2004. They got engaged in 2007 and married a year later.
At the time, Emma (née Griffiths) was a presenter on MTV and that's how she first met Matt. 'For a year, me and Emma were party pals,' Matt told The Guardian last year. 'I knew exactly who she was as I'd seen her on TV and remember wondering: "Who is that?" When we were introduced I was nervous, terrified, but mostly excited to meet the hot girl from MTV.'
He revealed that it was Emma who pursued him, passing her number on via Simon from Blue. The paparazzi was waiting outside the restaurant where they spent their first date. 'The next day the headlines were: "Matt from Busted and a mystery brunette." Which is funny, because now I'm known as "Emma Willis' husband"!' he joked.
Has Matt Willis struggled with addiction?
Matt has been open about his struggles with addiction in the past. In 2023, he fronted the documentary Fighting Addiction about his decades-long battle with drugs and alcohol and his journey to sobriety.
He admitted that six months into his relationship with Emma, he went to rehab for the first time. He has been four times in total.
What have they said about their relationship?
As far as celebrity couples go, Matt and Emma are goals. As Emma said herself, 'The wedding isn't the destination, it's the lasting part that is. As we've gotten older and more mature and settled, we have realised that as long as we communicate, we can avoid sitting on resentments or creating the kind of environment that leads to getting divorced. I won't allow that to happen to us – and I won't let him do it either!'
On Emma's recent birthday, Matt shared a series of photos of them as a couple with a touching caption. 'I love you more now than ever. We have been together for 20 years now! What a ride. I am literally who I am today because you love me. And I love everything about it. You are actually the coolest person in the world. Still can't believe you're my wife.'
Do Matt and Emma Wills have children?
Yes. Matt and Emma have three children together, Isabella, 15, Ace, 13, and Trixie, 10.
Do Matt and Emma Willis work together?
While they have their own respective careers, with Emma fronting her own documentaries about everything from the digital divide to child birth, Matt and Emma started working together last year as the first hosts of the UK version of Love Is Blind. They are set to return for season two this summer.
Nikki Peach is a writer at Grazia UK, working across pop culture, TV and news. She has also written for the i, i-D and the New Statesman Media Group and covers all things TV for Grazia (treating high and lowbrow shows with equal respect).