Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction (BBC One Wednesday 17 May 2023)

Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction airs Wednesday 17 May 2023 on BBC One.

Matt Willis, a musician, an actor, and a father of three, may seem to have it all. He has a thriving acting career, is married to TV host Emma Willis, and together they are raising three children. He is also a member of the hugely successful noughties pop band Busted. But despite his success, his addictions take up a lot of his mind space. In this unfiltered documentary, Matt discusses his struggles with substance abuse, how they have driven him to the brink of insanity, and how he fights each day to stay clean and sober. Matt describes the stress he and his family are under as a result of his constant worry about relapsing.

Matt’s darkest days are revisited in the film as he begins to investigate the causes of his addiction. He does this to learn more about the disease of addiction, the resources available to those who suffer from it, and the cutting-edge developments in the field of addiction treatment. Matt and his brother go back to their old house to look for answers about where his addictions came from.

He travels to the south coast facility that was instrumental in his recovery, where he spent four weeks in 2008 before his wedding to Emma Willis and emerged clean and sober on the eve of his big day. He attends a group session at the centre where current clients share their stories of addiction and recovery. In addition, Matt investigates treatments that can aid addicts on their often arduous road to recovery by meeting with researchers at Imperial College London who are comparing the brains of addicts and nonaddicts.

The film not only follows Matt on his own journey, but also shows the unwavering support he receives from his bandmates, friends, and family—especially his wife, Emma. He and Emma go to Glasgow together to visit an established organisation that helps addicts’ loved ones. In this setting, they interact with the loved ones of addicts, including children and parents.

Within the context of Matt and Busted’s preparations for their reunion tour, an environment that has historically put him at risk of relapse, Matt uses this film to examine his addictions. Can he prepare himself to the point where he is excited about going on tour and confident that he will be able to maintain his sobriety? Is it possible for him to help himself and others find peace in the daily battle against addiction by investigating the various possible causes of his addictions and some of the methods available to ease them?

Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction airs Wednesday 17 May 2023 at 9.00pm on BBC One

Featured Image Credit: BBC One