Emma Willis’ husband Matt broke down in tears as he recounted the impact his drink and drugs problem had on his parenting.
Matt, who battled addiction in his twenties, recounted the moment a night out meant he’d missed seeing his daughter crawl for the first time.
Chatting to Giovanna Fletcher on her Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, the musician and father of three said: “When Isabelle was born I stayed clean for a while and then I relapsed again when she was about six months old.
“I missed Emma’s birthday, she was in Birmingham and I was doing a TV show at the time. It was the wrap party. Someone just handed me a glass of champagne and I was off.”
Emma Willis’ husband Matt on his drug and drink problem
“I turned up at [Emma’s] parents’ house at four in the morning off my head. It was the worst. The next morning I walked down and I knew what I’d done.”
The 39-year-old McBusted star’s voice broke as he added: “Emma told me that I’d missed Isabelle crawling for the first time.
“She crawled that night and I was in a pub Watford with strangers. And it dawned on me that I was going to be a terrible father.
“It really hit me. It hit me like a tonne of bricks. That for me was the turning point and I ran out of the house, I walked down the road and I walked to the pub.
“I didn’t go in. I had some gear in my pocket which I chucked in the bin.”
Matt went back to Emma’s and added: “I got on my knees and apologised. I said: ‘I’m so so sorry and I’m going to change.’ And I really meant it.
“That moment wasn’t so much about stopping drink and drugs, it was about being a terrible father and losing everything and then having to live with that.”
Matt fans love his honesty
During the interview, Matt spoke openly about his own ‘troublesome’ childhood and said that he’s ‘very aware’ that his children have a different experience.
“All I ever wanted to be in the world was a dad. It was so important to me.”
Talking about striking a balance between work and spending time with his kids, he said: “We’re a team, me and Emma. We really try and balance it out.”
Fans were quick to reach out to Matt and applaud his bravery.
Commenting on Giovanna’s Instagram post, one said: “So honest! Wow! Very generous and brave to share this – thank you.”
Another added: “Pretty powerful. He’s so lucky to have Emma as his partner, this must have been so hard to live through. Well done Matt for talking about it and getting the help you need.”
Read more: Strictly bosses are ‘desperate’ to sign up this celebrity couple for ‘shake-up’.
Head over to our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix to share your thoughts.