I’ve lost 70 pounds and men only see me as a skinny blonde woman – I’m not a trophy wife
EMMA WILLIS and her husband Matt are the latest couple to co-host a TV show. But unlike some TV spouses, they won’t be sitting on the sofa chatting to celebrities.
They present new dating show Love Is Blind, and the title is ironic for Matt, who first met presenter Emma when he was in chart-topping band Busted.
He said with a laugh: “Love wasn’t blind to me. I thought, ‘That’s the fit girl from MTV, I’m going straight for her!'”
Matt, 41, admits he felt like he was performing above his level with the former model, who is now 48.
He added: “I’ve always felt that way. I knew very early on in my relationship, ‘I’m going to cling to life.’ And I stuck with it for 20 years. We’re quite sentimental these days.”
It seems Emma was just as impressed.
She said: “I would have fallen in love with Matt’s personality. But of course someone’s appearance plays a role too.
“Yes, when you see someone, you should be attracted to them.
“But the concept of Love Is Blind is to see if that emotional connection lasts longer than just a physical connection that might disappear.”
Netflix’s dating show is a global hit after six seasons in the US, hosted by husband and wife team Nick and Vanessa Lachey, and versions in other countries.
It was said that producers Chris and Rosie Ramsey, as well as Rochelle and Marvin Humes, were considering presenting the UK edition.
But Matt and Emma are the perfect choice because they know that romance can be a real rollercoaster ride.
It was said that producers Chris and Rosie Ramsey, as well as Rochelle and Marvin Humes, were considering presenting the UK edition.
But Matt and Emma are the perfect choice because they know that romance can be a real rollercoaster ride.
“In any relationship, when things are going well, things are going well. But when things get tough, or there’s a rock in the way, that’s when the real test comes.”
Emma added: “Everyone has a bump in the road, but the size of the bump and how they overcome those bumps is different.
“Patience, give and take, and being able to communicate are all essential.”
Matt admitted to a magazine: “I put her through the wringer for years. I got out of that rehab center three days before we got married.
“She didn’t say, ‘I’m not going to marry you.’ But I knew that was coming.”
Emma added: “He had to make a choice. I didn’t want to leave, but I also couldn’t let it become my life, or the life of the children we would have. Luckily he got himself sorted out.”
Emma has since had three children with Matt: Isabelle in 2009, Ace in 2011, and Trixie in 2014.
Matt is still with Busted, who enjoyed a sold-out 20th anniversary tour last year, and The Voice presenter Emma is still one of the most popular presenters on TV.
Working together on screen, however, is a full-circle moment after their first collaboration on the jungle spin-off I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! NOW! in 2007, when Emma was pregnant with Isabelle.
She said: “People have always asked us over the years, ‘Do you think you would ever do something together?’
“And we’ve always said we would do that if it made sense.
“But then Netflix approached us and said, ‘What do you think about this?’ And we thought, ‘Oh, that seems like a good fit. It’s an absolute yes from us.'”
In Love Is Blind, two bachelors sit on either side of a pane of frosted glass.
Unable to see each other, they form a bond through conversation alone, and after falling in love, some even propose.
Only then are they allowed to meet in real life, before going on a luxury holiday and later moving in together.
Just one month later, the wedding day arrives, when the bride and groom have the chance to say “yes” or “no.”
Emma said: “We want to intervene all the time, but we’re not allowed to. We kept asking, ‘Can we talk to them about this?’ And they said, ‘No.’
“’Can I meet the families?’ ‘No.’ ‘Can we go to the weddings?’ ‘No.’
“But I get it. Because I think if you want the relationship to work and for it to flourish, you want it to stay in that bubble for as long as possible.”
Matt said: “I haven’t been on a date since I was 21. I’m 41 now, so the idea of doing that would just be weird.”
Emma added with a laugh: “Even online dating seems like a completely insane concept.
“Matt and I are so old that our relationship existed before apps.”
