Who knew the key to this dating experiment was to have good banter? Those who live and love within the UK are well known for their exceptional chat when it comes to picking up a love interest, whether at a pub or on one of the many dating apps. Now, Netflix viewers can prepare themselves for an all-new season of Love is Blind: UK, which Matt Willis and Emma Willis will host. And while the US version has the former boy bander Nick Lachey and his wife, Vanessa Lachey, it’s time to learn a bit more about the couple across the pond.
Matt Willis
Matt was born in London in 1983 and is best known for his musical trio, Busted. He and his bandmates, James Bourne and Charlie Simpson, have all lived the rockstar life, but it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Matt has changed his name three times due to his parents’ divorce and clearly has found it hard to love himself. In an interview with The Guardian, he shared with fans that he used to some a lot of weed and drink in his local park. Matt once shared, “I’d be drinking to black out or have big cuts on my face from falling over. It wasn’t a casual smoke in the park; it was always ‘Let’s get as fu*ked up as I possibly can.'”
But life started to change for Matt as his music started to take off. He met and befriended Amy Winehouse. The pop-punk band had a lot of success, including four UK number-one singles and two Brit Awards for Best Pop Act and Best British Breakthrough Act. Sadly, they parted ways in 2005 due to creative differences. But in 2015, Busted reunited for their Pigs Can Fly Tour. Busted had hits like What I Go To School For, Sleeping With The Light On, Air Hostess, and Year 3000 (Yes! The same song the Jonas Brothers covered.) Dare I say the original is a million times better!?
The pop star is familiar with the inner workings of reality TV. In 2006, he was voted King of the Jungle by fans on I’m A Celebrity. He was received so well that he was able to host alongside Emma during a spinoff.
Emma Willis
Emma is a bit older than Matt, as she was born in 1976. The Birmingham native may be best known for hosting other reality TV shows like Big Brother, Celebrity Big Brother, The Voice UK, and a spinoff for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
She also had a two-episode part on the popular English soap, Eastenders, and has featured on The Keith and Paddy Picture Show, and Emma Willis: Delivering Babies. But before becoming a TV icon, Emma started her life as a model. Emma has an impressive resume which includes fashion houses like Marie Claire, Elle, Vogue, GAP, and Chanel. But her big break came in 2002 when she was given a presenter/VJ spot on MTV. Emma hosted This Morning and Loose Women, which is very much the The View in the US.
The Duo
Matt and Emma first met in 2004, which happened to be during the same time Matt was releasing his second album with Busted. Emma was an MTV presenter at the time, with the two just hitting it off. It wasn’t until 2008 that the couple made it official and tied the knot at Rushton Hall in Northamptonshire. They enjoyed their big day so much that in 2018, they renewed their vows. The couple have three children together: Isabelle, Ace, and Trixie Grace.
If Love is Blind UK takes off don’t think it will be hard for the US audience to fall in love with Matt and Emma because both are genuine, hard-working people who found love the old-fashioned way. The new gig will mark ten years since Emma and Matt last hosted together. The two know how to have fun together and even tried the pods out on their own so viewers in the UK could get a real feel for the social experiment.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK MATT AND EMMA WILL BE GOOD HOSTS? WHY OR WHY NOT?
