Matt Willis has candidly discussed how he has discussed his past drink and drug struggles with his three young children.
The 38-year-old musician and actor has been married to 45-year-old TV host Emma Willis for 13 years and together they have 12-year-old daughter Isabelle, nine-year-old son Ace and five-year-old daughter Trixie.
Reflecting on fatherhood, Matt says he has never hidden his past struggles from his children – who are aware he cannot drink.
In the past Matt spend time in rehab to address his struggles with drink and drugs, and later gave up drinking, drugs and smoking completely.
Opening up about how he addresses this past part of his life, and his ongoing recovery with his children, Matt told Fabulous magazine: “I quit alcohol a few months into Isabelle’s life and I just hope she wasn’t impacted by [me drinking] at all.
"They’ve never known me to drink, but they’ve noticed I don’t do it and I’ve been very open about why I don’t, so it’s not really a big deal to them.
“We’ve talked about it and they know what I’m about and why I don’t do these things.
"They understand the words, although I try not to use them because they’re quite scary – words like ‘alcoholic’ and ‘addict’. So I say: ‘It doesn’t work for me, I can’t do that’, and that’s enough.”
Matt went on to explain his children were shocked to discover he had been a smoker in the past when they found a photo of him with a cigarette.
He said: “It was obvious I had been ‘on it’ but I also had a fag hanging out of my mouth and that’s what they were like: ‘Oh my god, Daddy!’ about! It was a very interesting discovery for them, I think!”
During the interview, Matt – who was a teenager when he shot to fame as the bassist of pop-punk band Busted in 2000 – also explained that his ongoing recovery is still a daily project.
He said: “I’m tempted by all kinds of things – I’m such an obvious addict. Anything you can take too far, I would, but that’s no longer drink or drugs, which is great. I’ve done a lot of work and I know the signs in myself and what’s healthy and what’s not.
"Drink and drugs haven’t entered my life for a long time and I haven’t thought about doing them, but it only takes one slip up to f**k all that up, so I am very on it and I do a lot to keep myself straight.
"It’s daily work and I have to keep my head in the game because I have a tendency to get enticed by things.”
* If you or someone you know is struggling with drugs, you can contact Frank for confidential help and information via 0300 123 66 00 or text 82111
