Matt Willis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Matt Willis
Willis performing with Busted at Manchester Arena in 2016
Born	Mathew James Willis (1983-05-08) 8 May 1983 (age 42) Tooting, London, England
Spouse(s)	Emma Griffiths ​ (m. 2008)​
Children	3
Musical career
Genres	Pop rock pop punk pop alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Musician singer songwriter television personality actor
Instruments	Vocals bass guitar drums
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Mercury (2006–2008, 2012–present) Super (2013–2015)
Associated acts	Busted (2000–2005, 2015–present) McBusted (2013–2015)

Matthew James Willis (born 8 May 1983) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is best known as a co-founder, bassist, and singer for the pop-punk band Busted.

In 2006, Matt released his first solo album, Don't Let It Go to Waste. This album included three songs that made it into the top 20 charts. Later that year, he won the TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. He also co-hosted the spin-off show with his wife, Emma, in 2007 and 2008. Matt has also acted in TV shows like Birds of a Feather and EastEnders.

Early Life and School

Matt Willis was born in Tooting, London, on 8 May 1983. He has an older brother named Darren. His parents separated when he was three years old. His mother later remarried and had his half-sister, Amanda.

As a child, Matt had a lot of energy. He also had some health challenges, including asthma and hyperactivity. He attended Woking High School for a while. Later, he went to the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London. There, he met future friends like Lee Ryan, Tom Fletcher, and Amy Winehouse.

Music Career

Busted: Pop-Punk Stars

Matt Willis first became famous as a member of the pop-punk band Busted. He was the band's bassist and one of the main singers. Matt helped write almost all of Busted's songs with Charlie Simpson and James Bourne.

Busted became very popular in the UK. They had many hit songs and released two studio albums. The band broke up in 2005 when Charlie Simpson left to work on other music.

On 10 November 2015, Busted announced they were getting back together! They started a tour in 2016. Busted then released their third album, Night Driver, in 2016. Their fourth album, Half Way There, came out in 2019. After that, Busted took a break so the members could work on other projects.

Solo Music

After Busted first broke up, Matt started his own solo music career. He released singles like "Up All Night" and "Hey Kid" in 2005 and 2006. He also released "Don't Let It Go to Waste". Matt also recorded a cover of the song "Crash" for the movie Mr Bean's Holiday.

McBusted: A Supergroup

Matt Willis performing with McBusted in 2014

Matt returned to music by joining a new group called McBusted. This band was formed with his former Busted bandmate James Bourne and the band McFly. They went on a very successful tour and released an album called McBusted.

In 2015, when Charlie Simpson rejoined Busted, McBusted decided to take a break.

Television Work

Reality TV and Presenting

In 2006, Matt took part in Celebrity MasterChef. In December 2006, he won I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! on ITV. He was crowned 'King of the Jungle'. During the show, he had to do challenges like skydiving and eating unusual foods.

After winning, Matt and his girlfriend (now wife) Emma Griffiths went to Australia. They presented I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW! on ITV2 in 2007 and 2008. They stopped presenting in 2009 because their first child was born.

Matt has also presented other TV shows. In 2007 and 2008, he presented ITV2's coverage of the BRIT Awards. He interviewed many famous musicians like Rihanna and Adele. In 2008, he also presented the Red Carpet coverage for the BAFTA Awards.

Acting Roles

In January 2014, Matt played Garth Stubbs in the TV show Birds of a Feather on ITV. He also appeared in the soap opera EastEnders in February 2014. He played Luke Riley, the boyfriend of a character named Stacey Branning.

Theatre Work

Matt has also performed in many stage musicals. In 2010, he made his first appearance in a musical called Flashdance: The Musical. Later that year, he played Chuck in Footloose.

In 2011, Matt took on the role of Fiyero in the popular musical Wicked. He performed in this role until October 2012. In 2018, he starred as Orin Scrivello in Little Shop of Horrors. In 2021, it was announced that Matt would join the UK tour of Waitress as Dr. Pomatter.

Podcasts

Matt is the co-host of a comedy podcast called When No One Is Watching. He hosts it with comedian Matt Richardson. On the podcast, celebrity guests share funny and surprising confessions.

In 2023, Matt started his own podcast called 'On The Mend'. In this podcast, he interviews guests who have faced tough times and overcome them. Guests have included Raphael Rowe and Dougie Poynter.

Personal Life

Matt Willis in 2006

On 5 July 2008, Matt Willis married Emma Griffiths. Their wedding took place at Rushton Hall in Northamptonshire. They have three children together. Their two daughters were born in 2009 and 2016, and their son was born in November 2011.

In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Matt and his wife trained with St John Ambulance. They volunteered to help with vaccinations.

Discography

Studio Albums

Singles

Filmography

Film and Television

Theatre

See also

In Spanish: Matt Willis para niños