Matt Willis -Facing Addiction

[MrsPelligrinoPetrichor]

Anyone else watch this, it was really good? It's on iPlayer.

I had no idea how many times he'd relapsed,poor bloke. Can't help thinking going on tour probably isn't a good idea, hope he's going to be ok. With the best will in the world being in a situation where you used all the time is going to be massively triggering.

I've never really liked Emma , always thought she was a bit fake, totally changed my mind , she's clearly been slapping a smile on her face and keeping the family together.

So much respect for both of them for being so open and transparent.

And being completely shallow Matt is completely rocking the beard !

I cried a bit when Emma met the Glaswegian therapy group.
It was a very illuminating watch all round.

I'm watching now. Emma is amazing putting up with it all.

I feel sorry for Emma. She seems to have a lot of pain stored as she cries a lot. I have compassion for Matt, but I do feel he doesn't really own his addiction. They even said he avoided therapy to look into his childhood for 20 years. Everyone is different and is healing at a different pace, but I get the impression a huge part of him thinks the drinking and drugs are not his doing and as though he has no choice! Addictions are difficult and not the addicts fault but avoiding a certain type of therapy for 20 years when you have a wife and three kids doesn't really strike me as a case of 'i take as much responsibility as I can for my healing'.

It’s about time she stopped putting up with it all. What a waste of her life. And it’s so bad for her children.

As with most addicts, he’s making it all about himself.

I have always thought Emma looked as though she was kind of haunted by something - she never looks truly happy and relaxed. Now I know why. They married 3 days after he came out of rehab too.

Poor Emma, I think she needs therapy too

Yes, as much as I feel for them both, I can't help but think Matt isn't doing everything he can to avoid relapsing. He obviously has massive childhood trauma that was briefly touched upon (I get that he doesn't want to go into all the gory details on TV) but he seems to be refusing to tackle the root cause and just wants to look into a magic cure.

Agree - the close-ups of her really show the sadness and stress in her eyes.

And if he relapses every time he goes on tour, Emma must be so anxious about their up and coming anniversary tour.

I got the impression his ideal scenario is that his addiction is genetic so he doesn't have to do any further work. It is sad that Emma basically married someone who was sober for just three days. If I had kids etc I'd perhaps avoid the biggest trigger which is touring and change jobs?

Yes. He's done other work and been sober and drug free for 8 years. What happened to his parents? They haven't said.

At that Glaswegian therapy group, I think it finally hit Emma what Matt is doing to their kids.

So far, we only know that his parents divorced when he was 3 and his mum married an abusive man when he was 5. Due to stepdad older brother left when Matt was 11 to live with his dad and Matt stayed with mum and stepdad.

It was interesting to hear the tour riders as well (assuming what was said on the programme was correct and not just filmed because Um Bongo is nostalically funny) - James had no alcohol, but Charlie did. Charlie's an adult and can have what he likes, of course, but it did leave me wondering about his level of understanding / friendship. He seemed very rose-tinted glasses about the good old days of touring and drinking 40 B-52s.

From what I've seen of Emma on tv, I'm always confused by why she stuck by, married and had kids with him. She seems too intelligent and sensible to have ignored the red flags he came with. IYKWIM.

He’s hardly opening up about his addiction, he’s been talking about it solidly for the last five or six years. His wife is an absolute saint.

I'm not sure Charlie's rider will help.

@DoctorLawn yes, I couldn't understand how Charlie could not have realised how bad things got with Matt when he spent so much time with him. And Charlie obviously drinks too much if he's ordering 4 bottles of red wine for after a gig!

Also thought it interesting that James did not appear at all considering he and Matt were friends long before Busted and it appears like James's family practically adopted him and saved him from his home life.

He looks like George Michael.

I really feel for them, Emma won’t be able to relax a single second he is on that tour. All eyes will be on him and I hope he manages to stay clean.
I hope Charlie sees this and removes all that wine from the rider.

I watched it and just felt sorry for Emma. I hope he’s worth it.

He’s a mess and looks 20 years older than he is. it was very self-indulgent imo.

The fact they got married 3 days after him coming out of rehab is so depressing.

He doesn't come across as very likeable at all.

No; he wasn't particularly likable.
I need to watch the start of this as came in half hour into it, so I didn't hear about his childhood

This

I really felt for Emma. It seems as though she couldn't talk to anyone openly before. The Glasgow talk was so moving. I'm not sure he connected it. The way his own children and wife would feel. It was just so he felt sorry for the women talking wasn't taking on board the fact that could be Emma talking. I thought it was terrible that someone in his own band would be drinking on that tour, knowing that alcohol was his weakness and addiction.