Matt Willis
Encyclopedia
Matthew James Willis (born 8 May 1983) is an English
singer-songwriter
. He found fame as a founding member of the band Busted.
, London, later moving to East Molesey
, Surrey, where he grew up, and later moved to Woking
, Surrey
.
Willis has an older brother, Darren; their parents split up when Matt was three years old. His mother later remarried and had his half-sister, Amanda, who is an Ambassador for a charity called Whizz-Kidz. Willis has had three different last names legally whilst growing up; Willis after his birth father, this was changed to Woods after his parents split and later changed to Sargent after his mother married her now current husband.
Willis has made it clear that he was a "problem" child, regularly sneaking out of the house by shimmying down drain pipes. He also as a child suffered from brittle bone disease, tunnel vision
, asthma
and hyperactivity problems.
Willis attended Woking High School after being asked to leave his previous secondary school, before leaving to attend the independent fee-paying Sylvia Young Theatre School
in Marylebone
, London, where he met his now close friends Lee Ryan
, Tom Fletcher
, Billie Piper
, Jodi Albert
, and Amy Winehouse
who has openly said that she fancied Matt at school: "Yeah we all loved Matt at school. I fancied him, Everyone did."
, James Bourne
and Tom Fletcher
although the latter was a member of McFly
.
During their career, the trio became immensely famous in Britain
and began an upsurge of pop-punk popularity. They had several chart successes and released two studio albums, one live album and a compilation of their greatest hits available in America.
The band disbanded in 2005 due to Simpson leaving to pursue other projects
.
, releasing singles in 2005 and 2006: "Up All Night", "Hey Kid
", "Don't Let It Go to Waste
", and a cover version of The Primitives
song, "Crash
" for the film Mr Bean's Holiday.
After appearing on ITV's "I'm A Celebrity...", Willis decided it was time for a change. Just as he was about to depart on his first solo UK Tour he sacked his management of six years Prestige Management. This later came with the decision to leave his record label Mercury Records. "It's not a simple case of dropping an artist but just that we both felt we had reached a point where we could no longer move forwards."
that Willis would take over the role of Fiyero, the leading male and love interest to both Elphaba and Glinda.
, Willis has pursued various presenting projects. On 14 February 2007, Willis took his first major presenting role, when he was one of the presenters of ITV2
's coverage of the BRIT Awards
, alongside Lauren Laverne
, Russell Howard
and Alesha Dixon
. He returned to this role in 2008 alongside Emma Willis
and Lauren Laverne
. He interviewed Rihanna
, Shayne Ward
, Adele
, Ozzy Osbourne
, Kate Nash
and many more including Perez Hilton
who became very fond of Matt.
Following his success in this, he hosted the MTV Hits
night of MTV's Spanking New Music Tour 2007 with his wife Emma, live from the Anson Rooms in Bristol
on 21 March 2007.
In February 2008, Willis presented the Red Carpet coverage for the E! Entertainment network, at the 2008 BAFTA Awards
, alongside Ryan Seacrest
and Emma Willis.
, Willis was crowned 'King of the Jungle' being the winning contestant on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here!
despite going into the final day as the 8-1 underdog
against Myleene Klass
and Jason Donovan
. Weighing 13 stone 2 lb upon entering, he discovered that he had lost 2 stone after being weighed again in the jungle. In order to enter the jungle, Willis was required to bungee jump from a plane. During his stay, in a compulsory bushtucker trial, Willis ate a kangaroo
anus
, crocodile
penis
, crocodile eye
, witchetty grub
, and some sweeties and mealworm
s to earn a cooked, luxury meal for himself and the other celebrities
.
after Willis had won the 2006 series. Following in 2008, the couple were asked back after winning a presenting award earlier that year. Each series lasted over six weeks in Australia during November and December. In early 2009, Willis and his wife did not renew their contract with ITV2 due to the birth of their first child in June 2009.
, on 5 July 2008. Guests included ex Members of Son Of Dork
, James Bourne
, David Gest
, Holly Willoughby
, Ant McPartlin, McFly
, Kara Tointon
and Heidi Range
. OK! Magazine
covered the wedding for July in their 632 issue. In December 2007 they took part in their first "press" shoot for OK! Magazine, even though Matt said he did not want to be a part of the whole cycle.
In November 2007 Willis claimed to have stopped smoking, which he had done from the age of 11, but has since been photographed smoking.
They have a daughter, Isabelle Catherine Willis, who was born on 20 June 2009. They had their second child, son Ace Billy Willis on 25 November 2011.
In July 2006, aged 23, Willis was admitted again for a few days to the Priory Rehab Hospital for drug abuse
, because he was hooked on cannabis
from the age of 13. Matt began to have problems from the drug-taking including physiological and memory problems.
In June 2008, aged 25, Willis entered the providence project rehab centre in Bournemouth after a marriage ultimatum, as Willis continued to take drugs
and drink heavily. It was reported that a night out with close friend Amy Winehouse
pushed Willis too far. Willis took the full 5 week course in Drugs and Alcohol.
On 28 February 2010 Matt Willis was injured in a skiing accident, but hoped to recover over a six week period.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. He found fame as a founding member of the band Busted.
Early years
Willis was born Matthew James Willis in TootingTooting
Tooting is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, London, later moving to East Molesey
East Molesey
Molesey is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England. Situated on the outskirts of Greater London, approximately from Charing Cross, it is a typical suburban area. There are two distinct areas in the town: West and East Molesey...
, Surrey, where he grew up, and later moved to Woking
Woking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
.
Willis has an older brother, Darren; their parents split up when Matt was three years old. His mother later remarried and had his half-sister, Amanda, who is an Ambassador for a charity called Whizz-Kidz. Willis has had three different last names legally whilst growing up; Willis after his birth father, this was changed to Woods after his parents split and later changed to Sargent after his mother married her now current husband.
Willis has made it clear that he was a "problem" child, regularly sneaking out of the house by shimmying down drain pipes. He also as a child suffered from brittle bone disease, tunnel vision
Tunnel vision
Tunnel vision is the loss of peripheral vision with retention of central vision, resulting in a constricted circular tunnel-like field of vision.- Medical / biological causes :Tunnel vision can be caused by:...
, asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
and hyperactivity problems.
Willis attended Woking High School after being asked to leave his previous secondary school, before leaving to attend the independent fee-paying Sylvia Young Theatre School
Sylvia Young Theatre School
Sylvia Young Theatre School is an independent fee-paying stage school, in Westminster, London, named after its founder and Principal, Sylvia Young.-Outline:...
in Marylebone
Marylebone
Marylebone is an affluent inner-city area of central London, located within the City of Westminster. It is sometimes written as St. Marylebone or Mary-le-bone....
, London, where he met his now close friends Lee Ryan
Lee Ryan
Lee Ryan is an English singer-songwriter, actor and member of the British boy band Blue.-Early life:...
, Tom Fletcher
Tom Fletcher
Thomas Michael "Tom" Fletcher is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known as one of the lead vocalists and guitarists of English pop rock band McFly, in addition to being the group's founder and principal songwriter...
, Billie Piper
Billie Piper
Billie Paul Piper is an English singer and actress.She began her career in the late 1990s as a pop singer and then switched to acting. She started in acting and dancing and was talent spotted at the Sylvia Young stage school by Smash Hits magazine who wanted a "face" for their magazine...
, Jodi Albert
Jodi Albert
Jodi Mary Albert is an English actress and singer, best known for playing Debbie Dean in the British soap opera Hollyoaks on Channel 4 from 2002 to 2004, returning for guest appearances in 2005 & 2006, and her inclusion as one fifth of Irish girl group Wonderland.-Biography:Albert attended the...
, and Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
who has openly said that she fancied Matt at school: "Yeah we all loved Matt at school. I fancied him, Everyone did."
Busted
Willis first found fame in the music industry as one third of the pop-rock band, Busted. The band's bassist and vocalist, Willis formed the band as well as co-writing almost all of their songs alongside Charlie SimpsonCharlie Simpson
Charles Robert Simpson , is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was the youngest member of multi BRIT Award-winning band Busted, and is the lead vocalist, guitarist and co-lyricist in alternative rock band Fightstar...
, James Bourne
James Bourne
James Elliot Bourne is an English singer-songwriter and co-founder of pop bands Son of Dork and Busted. He is currently pursuing a solo career under the name Future Boy. His albums have sold over six million copies...
and Tom Fletcher
Tom Fletcher
Thomas Michael "Tom" Fletcher is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known as one of the lead vocalists and guitarists of English pop rock band McFly, in addition to being the group's founder and principal songwriter...
although the latter was a member of McFly
McFly
McFly are an English pop rock band who first found fame in 2004. The band consists of Tom Fletcher , Danny Jones , Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd . They were signed to the Island Records label from their 2004 launch until December 2007, before creating their own label, Super Records...
.
During their career, the trio became immensely famous in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and began an upsurge of pop-punk popularity. They had several chart successes and released two studio albums, one live album and a compilation of their greatest hits available in America.
The band disbanded in 2005 due to Simpson leaving to pursue other projects
Fightstar
Fightstar are an English alternative rock band from London. They formed in 2003 and their lineup comprises lead vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Charlie Simpson, guitarist and vocalist Alex Westaway, bass guitarist Dan Haigh and drummer Omar Abidi...
.
Don't Let It Go To Waste
After a brief stint in rehab after the Busted split, Matt launched a solo career on Mercury RecordsMercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
, releasing singles in 2005 and 2006: "Up All Night", "Hey Kid
Hey Kid
"Hey Kid" is the second official single from Matt Willis, released on August 21, 2006. It is taken from Willis's debut solo album Don't Let It Go to Waste...
", "Don't Let It Go to Waste
Don't Let It Go to Waste (song)
"Don't Let It Go to Waste" is the third single from Matt Willis, released on 11 December 2006. Several days before the single's release, Willis was announced the winner of the reality TV-show I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!. A show Willis admitted going on purely to boost his music career...
", and a cover version of The Primitives
The Primitives
The Primitives are a British indie pop band from Coventry, best known for their 1988 international hit single "Crash".-Biography:The Primitives were part of the indie music scene of the mid-1980s alongside bands like The Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine, the Soup...
song, "Crash
Crash (The Primitives song)
"Crash" is a song written by The Primitives band members Paul Court, Steve Dullaghan and Tracy Spencer. The song was first recorded by The Primitives for their 1988 debut album Lovely. This version of the song was released as a single and a cassette in 1988 and peaked at number five on United...
" for the film Mr Bean's Holiday.
After appearing on ITV's "I'm A Celebrity...", Willis decided it was time for a change. Just as he was about to depart on his first solo UK Tour he sacked his management of six years Prestige Management. This later came with the decision to leave his record label Mercury Records. "It's not a simple case of dropping an artist but just that we both felt we had reached a point where we could no longer move forwards."
Second solo album
Matt Willis is in the studio recording his second album. He wrote on Twitter that some songs sound similar to Charlie Simpson's acoustic album Young Pilgrim and Matt's first album. The songs are going to sound different to his debut, Don't Let It Go to Waste, released in 2006, although his debut contained songs of a mature aspect but were still in the mould of his Busted days. He is producing the album himself along with a production team if things go wrong. He is also launching his own record label to release the album on. He has working titles for songs such as "A Strange Dream", "Wondergirl" ("That song is not about girls" he wrote on Twitter) and "Tie Me Down". He also said that the album will be released sometime in 2012, with a release date to be announced soon. He wrote on Twitter that the songs are not personal to him, despite some song titles incidating it should be, confirming that everyone is going to relate to the songs and he wrote that he had nothing troubling him in his mind and is in a very good place now.West End
As of 12 December 2011, it was announced on the official website for the West End Production of WickedWicked (musical)
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
that Willis would take over the role of Fiyero, the leading male and love interest to both Elphaba and Glinda.
Presenting
Since winning I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here!I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here! (UK)
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! is a British reality television show, first screened in 2002, in which celebrities live in jungle conditions with few creature comforts. The show is filmed in Australia and broadcast on ITV in the UK and on TV3 in Ireland. The show is one of the largest in the...
, Willis has pursued various presenting projects. On 14 February 2007, Willis took his first major presenting role, when he was one of the presenters of ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
's coverage of the BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
, alongside Lauren Laverne
Lauren Laverne
Lauren Cecilia Fisher , known professionally as Lauren Laverne, is an English radio DJ, television presenter, author and singer...
, Russell Howard
Russell Howard
Russell Joseph Howard is an English comedian best known for his TV show Russell Howard's Good News and his appearances on the topical panel TV show Mock The Week...
and Alesha Dixon
Alesha Dixon
Alesha Anjanette Dixon is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model and television personality. She first found fame in the all-female R&B trio Mis-Teeq, however, the trio separated in 2005 and Dixon continued pursuing her music career as a solo artist, signing to Polydor Records...
. He returned to this role in 2008 alongside Emma Willis
Emma Willis
Emma Willis is a British television presenter of such shows as Big Brother's Little Brother for its final series in 2010 and co-presenter of the now defunct Live From Studio Five the same year....
and Lauren Laverne
Lauren Laverne
Lauren Cecilia Fisher , known professionally as Lauren Laverne, is an English radio DJ, television presenter, author and singer...
. He interviewed Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
, Shayne Ward
Shayne Ward
Shayne Thomas Ward is an English pop singer who rose to fame as the winner of second series of The X Factor. He has sold over 3 million records worldwide and has had number one albums and singles in 9 countries.During The X Factor competition, Ward was mentored by manager Louis Walsh...
, Adele
Adele (singer)
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008...
, Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
, Kate Nash
Kate Nash
Kate Marie Nash is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. She had a UK no. 2 hit "Foundations" in 2007, followed by the platinum selling UK number 1 album Made of Bricks. She was named Best Female Artist at the 2008 BRIT Awards....
and many more including Perez Hilton
Perez Hilton
Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. , better known as Perez Hilton , is an American blogger and television personality. His blog, Perezhilton.com , is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities...
who became very fond of Matt.
Following his success in this, he hosted the MTV Hits
MTV Hits
MTV Hits is an American music video channel that debuted on May 1, 2002. The format of the network resembles that of the classic MTV before the additional of other programming to that network in the 1990s and their slow decline of music video programming...
night of MTV's Spanking New Music Tour 2007 with his wife Emma, live from the Anson Rooms in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
on 21 March 2007.
In February 2008, Willis presented the Red Carpet coverage for the E! Entertainment network, at the 2008 BAFTA Awards
61st British Academy Film Awards
The 61st British Academy Film Awards, given by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts took place on 10 February 2008, and honoured the best films of 2007.Joe Wright's Atonement won the award for Best Film...
, alongside Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
and Emma Willis.
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here!
In December 2006 on ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, Willis was crowned 'King of the Jungle' being the winning contestant on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here!
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here! (UK)
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! is a British reality television show, first screened in 2002, in which celebrities live in jungle conditions with few creature comforts. The show is filmed in Australia and broadcast on ITV in the UK and on TV3 in Ireland. The show is one of the largest in the...
despite going into the final day as the 8-1 underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
against Myleene Klass
Myleene Klass
Myleene Angela Quinn is an English singer, pianist, media personality and occasional model. She was formerly a member of the defunct British pop band Hear'Say.-Early life:...
and Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 million records, and his début album Ten Good Reasons was one of the highest-selling albums of 1989...
. Weighing 13 stone 2 lb upon entering, he discovered that he had lost 2 stone after being weighed again in the jungle. In order to enter the jungle, Willis was required to bungee jump from a plane. During his stay, in a compulsory bushtucker trial, Willis ate a kangaroo
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
anus
Anus
The anus is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, unwanted semi-solid matter produced during digestion, which, depending on the type of animal, may be one or more of: matter which the animal cannot digest,...
, crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
, crocodile eye
Eye
Eyes are organs that detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons. The simplest photoreceptors in conscious vision connect light to movement...
, witchetty grub
Witchetty grub
The witchetty grub is a term used in Australia for the large, white, wood-eating larvae of several moths...
, and some sweeties and mealworm
Mealworm
Mealworms are the larval form of the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, a species of darkling beetle. Like all holometabolic insects, they go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult...
s to earn a cooked, luxury meal for himself and the other celebrities
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
.
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here! Now
In November 2007, Willis and his wife Emma Griffiths went to Australia and presented I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here! Now on ITV2ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
after Willis had won the 2006 series. Following in 2008, the couple were asked back after winning a presenting award earlier that year. Each series lasted over six weeks in Australia during November and December. In early 2009, Willis and his wife did not renew their contract with ITV2 due to the birth of their first child in June 2009.
Personal life
Willis married his long term girlfriend of three years, Emma Griffiths, at Rushton Hall, NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, on 5 July 2008. Guests included ex Members of Son Of Dork
Son of Dork
Son of Dork were a British pop punk band formed by James Bourne after his previous band, Busted, split in January 2005. The name of the band came from a scene in the movie Problem Child where the chant "Son of Dork" is used. Their debut single, "Ticket Outta Loserville", was released in November...
, James Bourne
James Bourne
James Elliot Bourne is an English singer-songwriter and co-founder of pop bands Son of Dork and Busted. He is currently pursuing a solo career under the name Future Boy. His albums have sold over six million copies...
, David Gest
David Gest
David Alan Gest is an American concert promoter and media personality, perhaps best known for his turbulent marriage to Liza Minnelli, friendship with The Jackson 5 and appearance on the 2006 series of the British reality television show I'm a Celebrity.....
, Holly Willoughby
Holly Willoughby
Holly Marie Willoughby is an English television presenter and model, known for her work in presenting children's TV and entertainment shows. In her early career she modelled underwear and went on to present CD:UK...
, Ant McPartlin, McFly
McFly
McFly are an English pop rock band who first found fame in 2004. The band consists of Tom Fletcher , Danny Jones , Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd . They were signed to the Island Records label from their 2004 launch until December 2007, before creating their own label, Super Records...
, Kara Tointon
Kara Tointon
Kara Louise Tointon is a British actress, best known for playing Dawn Swann in BBC soap opera EastEnders. Tointon was the 2010 winner of BBC television series Strictly Come Dancing.-Early life:...
and Heidi Range
Heidi Range
Heidi India Range is an English singer, songwriter and member of the Sugababes. Range was an original member of girl group Atomic Kitten, although she left the group after two years of its formation with no album released...
. OK! Magazine
OK!
OK! is a British weekly magazine specializing in celebrity news. Originally launched as a monthly, its first issue was published in April 1993. In September 2004, OK! publishers Northern and Shell launched in Australia as a monthly title – the magazine went weekly in October 2006...
covered the wedding for July in their 632 issue. In December 2007 they took part in their first "press" shoot for OK! Magazine, even though Matt said he did not want to be a part of the whole cycle.
In November 2007 Willis claimed to have stopped smoking, which he had done from the age of 11, but has since been photographed smoking.
They have a daughter, Isabelle Catherine Willis, who was born on 20 June 2009. They had their second child, son Ace Billy Willis on 25 November 2011.
Rehab
In April 2005, aged 21, Willis had a brief stint for 3 weeks in London's Priory Rehab Hospital for alcoholism.In July 2006, aged 23, Willis was admitted again for a few days to the Priory Rehab Hospital for drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
, because he was hooked on cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
from the age of 13. Matt began to have problems from the drug-taking including physiological and memory problems.
In June 2008, aged 25, Willis entered the providence project rehab centre in Bournemouth after a marriage ultimatum, as Willis continued to take drugs
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
and drink heavily. It was reported that a night out with close friend Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
pushed Willis too far. Willis took the full 5 week course in Drugs and Alcohol.
On 28 February 2010 Matt Willis was injured in a skiing accident, but hoped to recover over a six week period.
Other work
- As a teenager, Willis was featured on The BillThe BillThe Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
& CasualtyCasualty (TV series)Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, both times as a drug dealer, and EastEndersEastEndersEastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
as an extra. - Following "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here!", Willis featured in a succession of celebrity based TV shows. In December 2006, he took part in an episode of Ready, Steady, Cook where he beat fellow "I'm a Celebrity..." contestant Toby AnstisToby AnstisToby Anstis is a radio presenter on Global Radio's Heart Network of stations. He presents his morning show weekdays from 10.00am - 1.00pm across the Heart branded network....
. A month later, Willis finished fifth in a Music Stars Special of The Weakest LinkThe Weakest LinkThe Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
. Bonnie LangfordBonnie LangfordBonita Melody Lysette "Bonnie" Langford is an English actress, dancer and entertainer. She came to prominence as a child star in the early 1970s then she subsequently became a companion of Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy's Doctor Who and has appeared on stage in various musicals such as Peter Pan:...
won the episode, having been Strongest Link in every round bar Round 2, in which Willis was the Strongest Link. At the end of the year he appeared with Myleene KlassMyleene KlassMyleene Angela Quinn is an English singer, pianist, media personality and occasional model. She was formerly a member of the defunct British pop band Hear'Say.-Early life:...
as a guest contributor to The Big Fat Quiz of the YearThe Big Fat Quiz of the YearThe Big Fat Quiz of the Year is an annual British television programme broadcast in the last or first week of the year on Channel 4. Essentially, the show is a comedy panel game in the style of a pub quiz. Three teams, of two celebrities each, are asked questions relating to the events of the year...
. - On 13 March 2007, Willis was a special guest on the GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
leg of the Radio 1BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
/Chris MoylesChris MoylesChristopher David Moyles is an English radio and television presenter and author, who currently presents The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 and Chris Moyles' Quiz Night on Channel 4....
Rallyoke in aid of Comic Relief. He performed Ice Ice BabyIce Ice Baby"Ice Ice Baby" is a hip hop song written by American rapper Vanilla Ice and DJ Earthquake. The song samples the bassline of "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie, who did not initially receive songwriting credit or royalties until after it had become a hit...
by Vanilla IceVanilla IceRobert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
. Other celebrities to take part in the night included Fran HealyFrancis HealyFrancis "Fran" Healy is a Scottish musician. He is currently the lead singer and main songwriter of the Scottish band Travis, having written nearly all of the songs on their six studio albums. He is based in Berlin, Germany...
and Dougie PayneDougie PayneDougie Payne is the bassist and backing vocalist of the Scottish band, Travis.-Career:...
of the band TravisTravis (band)Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose...
, Reggie YatesReggie YatesReginald "Reggie" Yates is a British actor, television presenter and radio DJ of Ghanaian descent. He went to Central Foundation Boys' School.-Early career:...
and Fred MacAulay. - As a fan of Big BrotherBig Brother (UK)Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
, Willis has also featured on various spin-off programmes for the 7th and 8thBig Brother 2007 (UK)Big Brother 2007 was the eighth series of the United Kingdom reality television programme Big Brother, airing on Channel 4, with a number of closely associated programmes also airing on E4....
series of the show, including BBLB and BBBM. - Willis has appeared twice on The Friday Night ProjectThe Friday Night ProjectThe Sunday Night Project was a British comedy-variety show by Princess Productions that first aired on Channel 4 in February 2005 under the title The Friday Night Project...
: once in 2006 in an episode hosted by Ross KempRoss KempRoss James Kemp is a BAFTA award-winning British actor, author and journalist, who rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
, and again in August 2007 on an episode hosted by fellow I'm a Celebrity... contestant David GestDavid GestDavid Alan Gest is an American concert promoter and media personality, perhaps best known for his turbulent marriage to Liza Minnelli, friendship with The Jackson 5 and appearance on the 2006 series of the British reality television show I'm a Celebrity.....
. - In the summer of 2007, he was a guest at the weddings of both Shane Ritchie and Holly WilloughbyHolly WilloughbyHolly Marie Willoughby is an English television presenter and model, known for her work in presenting children's TV and entertainment shows. In her early career she modelled underwear and went on to present CD:UK...
. - On 8 September 2007 Willis contributed to Ant and Dec's game "Bounce Baby Bounce" on the new series of Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.
- Willis was also a Star Guest with Emma Griffiths for the first show of Jordan & Peter Unleashed.
- In March 2008, Matt featured in an I'm A Celebrity... special of the TV series Ghosthunting with...Ghosthunting With...Ghosthunting With... is based on investigating purported paranormal activity. Yvette Fielding hosts the programme, broadcast on digital channel ITV2, where she takes celebrities to haunted buildings to investigate....
, alongside fellow contestant Dean GaffneyDean GaffneyDean Martin Gaffney is an English actor most notable for his role as Robbie Jackson on the BBC1 soap opera Eastenders from 1993 to 2003, when his character was axed. He has since made guest appearances in the soap in 2004 and 2010. Gaffney went on to appear in various reality television shows,...
, and recent contestants Christopher BigginsChristopher BigginsChristopher Kenneth Biggins is an English actor and media personality.-Career:Biggins was born in Oldham, Lancashire, England and brought up in Salisbury, Wiltshire, where he took elocution lessons and participated in local drama groups...
and Cerys MatthewsCerys MatthewsCerys Elizabeth Matthews is a Welsh singer and songwriter. She is known as the lead singer of the Welsh rock band Catatonia, her more recent bilingual solo career, and for a 1998 Christmas duet with Tom Jones.-Biography:...
as well as wife Emma WillisEmma WillisEmma Willis is a British television presenter of such shows as Big Brother's Little Brother for its final series in 2010 and co-presenter of the now defunct Live From Studio Five the same year....
. - In May 2008, Matt travelled to New Zealand with Jack OsbourneJack OsbourneJack Joseph Osbourne is an English media personality, best known as the son of musician Ozzy Osbourne and music manager Sharon Osbourne, and brother of Aimee and Kelly Osbourne.-Early life and family:...
, Jodie KiddJodie KiddJodie Kidd is an English television personality and fashion model.-Early life:Jodie was a showjumper as a child and attended St Michael's School, Petworth.-Family:Jodie is the granddaughter from Hon...
and John Thomson for the new series of Jack's ITV2 show, Jack Osbourne: Adrenaline JunkieJack Osbourne: Adrenaline JunkieJack Osbourne: Adrenaline Junkie was a British reality Television series on ITV2, series 1 focused on Jack Osbourne's globe-trekking six-month quest to get in physical and mental shape to climb the rockface of California's El Capitan mountain, the show documents Osbourne running with the bulls in...
. It was also reported that Willis got a new tattoo, the word 'Emma', after filming had finished, and was later beaten up by a local criminal after having left the set. The show was aired in October 2008. - In October 2008, Matt Willis appeared on All Star Family Fortunes with wife Emma Griffiths and her family. They lost to Gary Lucy.
- In May 2009, Matt Willis appeared on All Star Mr & Mrs with wife Emma Griffiths. They were successful in their endeavours on the show, and won £20,000 for their designated charity, Save The ChildrenSave the ChildrenSave the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
, as well as taking home a miniature carriage clock each. - In July 2010 it was announced Matt would be appearing in Flashdance The Musical as Nick.
- In December 2010 it was announced that Matt would be appearing in Footloose The MusicalFootloose (musical)Footloose is a 1998 musical based on the 1984 film of the same name. The music is by Tom Snow , the lyrics by Dean Pitchford , and the book by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie.-Act 1:...
as Chuck. - In April 2011 it was announced that Matt is auditioning for a role in EastEnders.
- In September 2011 it was announced that Matt will be taking over the role of Fiyero in the musical WickedWicked (musical)Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
at the Apollo Victoria TheatreApollo Victoria TheatreThe Apollo Victoria Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Wilton Road near Victoria station in the City of Westminster. Opened as a cinema and variety theatre, the Apollo Victoria became a venue for musical theatre, beginning with The Sound of Music in 1981, and including the long-running...
. He replaces Mark Evans from 12 December.
DJ
Willis is now re-inventing himself as a DJ and has DJ-ed for many successful club nights in Southend, Glasgow, Leeds and Warrington to name just a few. He toured from January until October 2008. Throughout 2009, Willis made a few DJ appearances at various university summer balls.Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | IRE Republic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,... |
EU | ||||
| 2006 | "Up All Night" | 7 | 29 | - | Don't Let It Go to Waste | Mercury |
| "Hey Kid Hey Kid "Hey Kid" is the second official single from Matt Willis, released on August 21, 2006. It is taken from Willis's debut solo album Don't Let It Go to Waste... |
11 | 42 | - | |||
| "Don't Let It Go to Waste Don't Let It Go to Waste (song) "Don't Let It Go to Waste" is the third single from Matt Willis, released on 11 December 2006. Several days before the single's release, Willis was announced the winner of the reality TV-show I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!. A show Willis admitted going on purely to boost his music career... " |
19 | 44 | - | |||
| 2007 | "Crash" | 31 | - | - | Mr. Bean's Holiday OST | |