Matt Willis has revealed he became addicted to working out to cope with his drug and alcohol struggles.
The Busted bassist, 39, who rose to fame as a member of the group during their rise in the early 2000s but checked into rehab by 2005 – where he was being treated for alcoholism.
He admitted he’s now so obsessed with exercise that he gets “triggered” when he’s not able to hit the gym.
Opening up: Matt Willis has revealed he became addicted to working out to cope with his drug and alcohol struggles
Speaking on the Happy Place podcast, Matt said, “Exercise was a big thing for me…when I discovered it, I was totally hooked.”
The musician told podcast host Fearne Cotton, “It was great because everything about it was positive.”
“And then it became an issue where I would get triggered or get angry or upset if I wasn’t doing it or something came up.”
Matt recently showed off his muscular physique in Ibiza, having recently worked hard in the gym.
Tough times: The Busted bassist, 39, who rose to fame as a member of the group during their rise to fame in the early 2000s but had checked into rehab by 2005 – where he was being treated for alcoholism (Busted pictured in 2004)
Matt will openly share his battle with drug and alcohol addiction in a heartbreaking new documentary.
The Busted bassist will discuss his time with the pop band and how he was treated for alcoholism in 2005 – when the group broke up.
In the BBC Three project, which is expected to air in 2023, Matt describes how his addiction developed from parts of his childhood and talks about how starting a new life with his wife Emma saved him.
Matt shares Ace, Isabelle and Trixie with his TV presenter Emma, whom he married in 2008.
A source told The Sun: “This will be just as personal for Matt as he’s never delved so deeply into his past before, at least not in public.
“It will show how some of his problems stem from a childhood where his parents made him feel like he should conform to male stereotypes.
“That included telling him boys don’t cry, which meant he didn’t shed a tear until he was 29.”
Fight: He admitted he’s now so obsessed with exercise that he gets “triggered” when he can’t go to the gym
He became an idol for teenage girls around the world as a member of the group in the early 2000s, but by 2005 he had checked into London’s exclusive Priory – where he was being treated for alcoholism.
The musician previously spoke about mental health with host Matt Johnson and life coach Ben Bidwell on new podcast The Naked Professors and revealed he began experimenting with mind-altering substances when he was just seven years old.
“I was in trouble before the band ended, I was a massive alcoholic,” he explained. “I don’t think being in a band made me who I am. I would have been the same if I had worked at Tesco or a bank, I’m an addict through and through.
He added: “Anything that’s keeping me from feeling the way I’m feeling is a problem for me because I can’t deal with how I’m feeling, so I’ll do whatever it takes to take that away and mean.” to change feelings.
Speaking to pal Fearne Cotton on the Happy Place podcast, Matt said, “Exercise was a big thing for me…when I discovered it, I was completely and absolutely addicted to it.”
“As a child I had mild asthma and I would hide under my covers and take as many puffs of my inhaler as I could by the time I was about seven because it made my head pound and my lips tingle.
“By the time I was seven, I would get high in my bed, so I’ve always felt the need to find ways to detach from who I am and how I feel. Quitting drinking has been one of the hardest things in my life.”
Reflecting on his early days in the band, Matt admitted that he occasionally used Class A stimulants, but only to sober him up at night.
“I used to do cocaine a few times when I was drinking to stay sober,” he recalled. “We’d call it a sharpener, so I’d be a little p****y, put in a few lines and be like, ‘Oh, I’ll be fine.’
Life: On the BBC Three project, the 39-year-old tells how his addiction developed from parts of his childhood and talks about how starting a new life with his wife Emma saved him
“I hated it, hated everything about cocaine, hated the way it made me feel, hated everything about it, but I couldn’t stop doing it, which is madness.
“It’s my illness. You have this hole and you’re trying to shovel everything in to fill it, but the hole will never end.’
After spending time at the Priory, Matt re-entered inpatient rehabilitation in July 2006 for an alleged cannabis addiction.
Two years later, the star spent five weeks at the Providence Project rehabilitation center in Bournemouth after his wife Emma Willis, with whom he has three children, gave him an alleged marriage ultimatum. He has remained alcohol and drug free since then.
In a 2017 speech, Matt publicly thanked Big Brother host Emma for helping guide him through his deepest ebb during his years of active alcoholism.
“She met me when I was a little desperate,” he told The Sun. “We went snowboarding in 2005 and I think that was the first time she said, ‘Shit, this guy’s out of control!’
“Then in March I was in rehab. She is amazing and with me all the time. I do not know why. Of course it was tested. There were times when we thought we couldn’t go on anymore.”
He added: “Unfortunately it was always on me as it was always my shit. I’m so grateful to her because she really helped me through this and now life is great.”
Family: Matt shares Ace, Isabelle and Trixie with his TV presenter Emma, whom he married in 2008