They’ve long been seen as one of the strongest couples in British showbiz, making them the perfect hosts for Netflix’s hit dating series Love Is Blind UK. But behind the laughter and glamour, Matt and Emma Willis have admitted that something unexpected has been driving a wedge between them — and it’s not another person. It’s golf.
“I’m obsessed. It’s slowly ruining my life,” admits 42-year-old Matt Willis with a grin. Then, looking at his wife of 17 years, he laughs, “But in the greatest possible way!” Sitting right beside him, Emma Willis, 49, rests her hand on his thigh and rolls her eyes before sighing, “For him!”
While Matt can’t stop gushing about his new passion, Emma isn’t impressed. “I love it,” he insists, before laying out his self-imposed rules. “I don’t play when it interferes with family time. I only go when the kids are at school. I try not to make anyone a golf widow.”
The couple share three children — Isabelle, 16, Ace, 13, and Trixie, 9. But what really gets under Emma’s skin isn’t the hours on the course, it’s the endless golf talk. She’s still not over the Christmas gift Matt gave her: golf lessons. Lessons which he then used himself.
“I’m only making digs because I literally don’t hear anything else now other than golf,” she says. “I walk in and it’s on the f**king telly. The kids see it, sigh, and just walk back out.”
When Matt protests that he’s “never had a hobby,” Emma claps back, reminding him of his past struggles. “You did — but they weren’t very good for you,” she quips, alluding to his drink and drug addictions.
Still, laughter always pulls them back. The pair dissolve into giggles as Matt recalls how he thought golf would be something they could do together. “I thought it was selfish to have a hobby, so I bought us ten golf lessons for Christmas,” he says. “She wasn’t into it. After a while I was like, ‘Do you mind if I go instead?’”
Emma’s answer? “If I had any time for a hobby, I’d probably have one. But job, husband, three kids… there’s not much time left.”
The pair clearly use humour as the glue in their marriage. When asked what really makes a relationship work, Emma sighs, “Love, time, commitment, compromise — f**k knows. Hopefully we’ll still be here in another 20 or 30 or 40 years… and then we’ll be in a box together.”
Their love story began back in 2004 when Matt was still in Busted and Emma was working as an MTV presenter. He was desperate to call her after getting her number, but friends told him to play it cool. “I waited three days, dying to call. It worked though, didn’t it?” Matt laughs.
By 2008, they were walking down the aisle in a star-studded wedding at Rushton Hall, Northamptonshire, with guests including David Gest, Stephen Mulhern and Holly Willoughby. Looking back, Matt recalls, “I never wanted it to end. I thought, ‘How do I make this never end? I need to marry her.’”
Now, as the second season of Love Is Blind UK airs, Matt and Emma continue to be the show’s heart. They were among the first to know when last year’s contestants Bobby and Jasmine Johnson announced they were expecting their first child. “We were so happy for them,” beams Emma.
Parenthood has been the couple’s strongest bond. “Having children changed everything,” Matt admits. “It takes things to a whole new level. It’s crazy, but I love it.”
Both believe openness, honesty and therapy are key to keeping their marriage strong. Matt, who journals as part of his recovery, explains: “I never want to miss something. I want to always be asking, ‘Are we okay?’ I want to be on top of things.”
Earlier this year, their marriage faced another test when Emma underwent keyhole heart surgery after doctors discovered a hole in her heart. “She’s not very good at sitting still,” Matt admits. Emma adds: “I’m all good now. I just had a bit of time off.”
For now, the couple’s lives revolve around work and raising their children. But they also dream about their future. “I’d love to drive around the world in a flipped Transit van,” Emma grins. “I keep seeing them on Instagram. They look amazing.”
Strong, funny and grounded — even with golf occasionally coming between them — Emma and Matt Willis are proving that love really can survive life’s addictions, distractions, and obstacles.
Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/
