Emma Willis explains why couples therapy was so important for her and husband Matt

TV duo Emma and are the perfect presenting couple for a series about therapy.

Their marriage seems stronger than ever after 17 years and they have been open about how Matt's struggles with addiction put a strain on the relationship at times, but they made it through.

However, speaking to them about their new project, it is who perhaps surprisingly leads the way when it comes to championing therapy.

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Referring to sessions they have had as a couple, she says: "I think aside from our kids, therapy was the best thing we've ever done for our marriage.

"We weren't even really in a place where our marriage wasn't great already, but it really helped us learn to communicate properly. Which sounds really basic, right? Especially when you've been with someone for 20 years, you're like, well how can you not communicate properly?

"We could communicate properly, but you can talk and you can listen or say you're listening, but are you really listening? And are you really hearing what that person is saying? And are you talking in the right way?

"How you say something can be taken in many different ways. So communication sounds simple, but there's actually quite a lot to it. It was amazing, we had great communication before and now we have brilliant communication and that has made a massive difference."

Matt, 41, nods in agreement and adds: "I think it has been the biggest thing for us. Wanting to understand the other person. Or going into a conversation thinking I am right and they are wrong. Actually you might both be right but be seeing things differently."

Matt and Emma are bringing together a team of leading therapists who’ve agreed to open the doors to their work and show their sessions on screen, in a new series for called Change your Mind, Change your Life.

The couple follow a range of people across the UK as they confront the problems they face to explore if therapy can help transform their lives. The four episodes also feature tips on how to tackle everyday challenges and reveal the power of opening up about any issues you have.

Despite a huge change in society towards mental health and people being open about issues like depression, Matt thinks there is still a way to go and the series should help.

"I think you mention therapy and everyone thinks you're in trouble," he says on a Zoom call from the family home in London.

"And actually, sometimes that's true. Sometimes I've been removed from society, and had to go into very intense periods of time where I needed to be cared for by people. But that's not everyone's story.

"I've also had therapy where I've kind of gone just for one here. And then I've gone out, you know, and I've had breakthroughs. So it's been incredible. I think therapy is different for everybody as well which is what's so kind of mind blowing. I think people have a preconception of what it is, you know.

"And I think in Britain especially, we think it's quite an American thing to do, kind of like 'we don't air our dirty laundry'. And that takes a bit of getting over, I think, but, but I think therapy can be incredible for somebody, and I definitely don't think it's really a waste of time.

"But we are also very aware of the elephant in the room, that therapy is not available for everybody. So that's what is so apparent. Some people really can't get it.

"So what's great about this show is that you might be able to see something that you resonate with, you might be able to see something that you might be able to take away for yourself and try something.

"Maybe there's a tip or a tool that you can grab, or there's a conversation which you've never had, which you can have with somebody you know. And I think you'd be surprised, as long as you pick the right person to talk to, you can have breakthroughs by just talking to somebody."

Matt himself knows better than anyone that therapy can help and whilst in rehab for drugs and alcohol abuse it helped him hugely. In his previous 2023 doc Fighting Addiction he went back to a the rehab unit on the south coast that made a real difference to his recovery where he spent four weeks in 2008 before his marriage to Emma. He came out the day before his wedding, clean and sober.

Emma says: "We had so much response with Matt's doc, so many people contacted him after watching. Amazing people sharing their stories. It's really overwhelming how many people it does connect with, and how many people it can kind of help see something or take a step towards something. And so when you're then asked to do something like this programme, that can hopefully reach and help and maybe acknowledge something with people who might be struggling, you just want to be able to do that and I think it's great."

There have been occasional reunion tours with Matt's band Busted in recent years but looking ahead the couple will hope to host many more shows together including more reality TV like Love Is Blind on and other shows like this one and their recent documentary about child mobile phone use.

Matt certainly is keen to present more and Emma is already a primetime favourite for the likes of and BBC.

"I've had an amazing time working with Emma," says Matt.

"I've loved every minute of it. I've always been a little bit jealous of some of the things that Emma does. I'm on a sweaty tour bus with boys, and she's off doing something awesome and glamorous.

"I wanted to do a bit of that and we've done one glamorous show, but the rest of it's been quite gritty, documentary style stuff."

But there is one show we are unlikely to ever see them on together - and that is a sparkly sequined BBC one that has given Matt a sleepless night or two.

"Never say never, but I couldn't ever imagine doing Strictly. I actually had a nightmare once where I woke up from it, and I was standing behind a red curtain, and I heard that voice go 'dancing the Cha Cha Cha is Matt'. I couldn't handle the pressure. It would be like an opening night to a play every time."

Emma reluctantly agrees: "I love the idea of it, and I always talk about it. But when I watch it, I get so nervous for those contestants when they have to walk down the stairs.

"I get nervous watching other people, imagine what it would feel like if it was you. And my anxiety, I don't think my anxiety could take it, I'd buckle walking down the stairs."

* Change Your Mind, Change Your Life… with Matt & Emma Willis is on BBC1 on May 13 at 11pm with all four episodes available on BBC iPlayer from that date onwards.

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