Emma Willis reveals toll of ‘psychological recovery’ and ‘terrible anxiety’ following shock heart surgery
STEPPING out in a pair of towering heels for the BAFTA Nominees Party last month, arm in arm with husband Matt, Emma Willis was making much more than a fashion statement.
It was her first major public appearance since undergoing heart surgery to correct a congenital condition – a hole in her heart she had gone nearly half a century without knowing about.
While the surgery was a success, and the road to recovery relatively easy, it wasn’t just a physical for Emma, 49, who admits she’s had to face the mental battle of overcoming the change.
Emma revealed: “It’s a bit of a head scramble when you find out something like that, that you’ve had something there your whole life, and you had no idea about it.
“I’m a brilliant overthinker, and my mind will go in every possible direction and scenario, so going into something like surgery, I really got myself at it, I get really anxious and nervous.”
The keyhole surgery, which took place a month ago, meant Emma avoided an open-heart recovery.
She continued: “It’s been a smooth recovery, it’s been much more of a psychological adjustment, because you don’t have a wound that you can see.
“The healing is all internal and you can’t feel it.
“It’s getting your head around the fact that your heart has to learn how to work in a different way to how it’s worked for nearly half a century.”
Luckily for Emma, husband Matt, 41, pop star, TV presenter and a proud advocate for mental wellbeing who has been open with his own addiction struggles, has been there by her side.
She added: “ Any kind of weirdness with it send you a bit panicky, but I’ve got a good little coach here on breath work and wellness.”
Breathwork and wellness are just two things that feature as part of their new BBC series, Change Your Mind, Change Your Life, a six-part documentary launching on BBC Two.
The series invites viewers into real-life therapy sessions with everyday people, exploring mental health issues like anxiety and depression through the eyes of those who have been battling them.
Matt and Emma are there to oversee the action, meeting with the contributors after their sessions to learn more about the work done beyond the therapists room.
It gives the couple an opportunity to also share their own insights and experiences of therapy, having been open about going to a couple’s counsellor together to strengthen their relationship.
Emma admitted: “Therapy is the best thing we’ve ever done for our marriage, aside from the kids, and we weren’t even really in a place where [we needed it], our marriage was great already.
“It’s about communication, which sounds really basic, especially when you’ve been with someone for twenty years, it’s like, ‘Well, how can you not communicate properly?’
“But we had great communication before, and now we’ve got brilliant communication, and that has made a massive difference to us both.”
Matt agreed: “I think it’s been the hugest thing for us — the understanding, wanting to understand the other person, and to going into a conversation thinking, I’m right, you’re wrong.
“You know, actually you’re both probably right, you’re just seeing things very differently.”
Putting therapy on screen, therefore, is important to the couple, who want to give everyday people the access of understanding what a session looks like, and how transformative it can be.
Matt knows better than most, having gone through life-altering therapy himself.
In 2023, he bared his soul in the BBC documentary Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction, detailing his struggles with drugs and alcohol throughout his career.
During his early years in pop band Busted, Matt had been drinking heavily and taking drugs, a habit that led to a full-blown addiction in his 20s, and having to go through rehab four times.
His last relapse was when his youngest child, Trixie, now eight, was just ten months old.
Matt now has his own mental wellbeing routine down to a fine art: “ I have certain things that I do.
“I do meditation every day, which has been something which I’ve kind of been on and off with for years.
“I have a cold bath, that really helps me, you know I can wake up on the wrong side of the bed sometimes, and I get in there and whatever I’m carrying in there seems to stay in there, and I get out a brand-new person, which I love.
“We’re not in therapy together currently – and I’m actually on a break with my therapist at the moment as well, I haven’t seen him for a little while.
‘IT’S BEEN INCREDIBLE’
“But I have an ongoing thing, so I’m always involved, and I feel like I need it, but don’t see that as anything but just wanting to be better.
“I want to improve,
“I never want to rest on my laurels and think I’m alright, because I’m always wanting to understand.
“I feel like I’ve spent most of my life running away from who I am and how I feel, and I don’t want to any more.
“I want to understand myself a bit more, because it makes me a better husband, a better father, a better musician, a better TV person, whatever I’m doing these days.”
Opening up in the documentary saw Matt contacted by hundreds of viewers, which has only emboldened him in wanting to get involved with more therapy-based telly projects.
Emma said: “There were so many people kind of contacted him, amazing people sharing their stories of their journey with addiction and mental health.
“If you put something like that on telly, it’s overwhelming how many people it does connect with.”
Matt agreed: “I’ve also had therapy where I’ve kind of gone, ‘I’m not sure why I’m here?’
“And then 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.”
With Change Your Mind, Change Your Life, the couple hope to normalise conversations about going through therapy, while also acknowledging the barriers that many people across the UK face when it comes to access.
Their hope is that the series can offer tools, insights, and even a nudge in the right direction.
“Maybe there’s a tip or a tool that you can grab,” Matt continued.
“Or there’s a conversation which you’ve never had which you can have with somebody.
“What I really got from it is you’re not stuck with the head that you think you’re stuck with.
“You can change the way your mind works, and you can change your thought patterns… and for me, it was mind-blowing watching people step outside their comfort zone.
“And if you can’t get to therapy, it’s knowing that just talking to someone openly about something is just miraculous, being open and honest is scary and tough, but positive.
“Though, you’ve got to be selective about who you talk to – maybe the pub is the wrong place for it.”
Emma added: “Don’t knock therapy until you’ve tried it.
“I think it’s very easy to be opinionated about something you’ve never experienced or know very little about… maybe trying it might make a difference.”
I’m on sweaty tour buses, and she’s always off doing something awesome and glamorous
Matt Willis
Despite their busy lives, with careers, kids, and ongoing telly projects, Matt and Emma admit they try to carve out time for each other whenever they can.
“Date night weekly would be lovely, wouldn’t it? But that’s just not realistic,” Emma said.
“Even if it doesn’t happen, we are aware that we need to spend time together.”
Matt added: “In my life, I can position myself in a place where I’m dad, I’m in Busted, I’m doing this and doing that… but the most important thing is our marriage, because without this, everything falls to pieces.”
For Matt and Emma, it’s also important to be honest with their children, Isabelle, 15, Ace, 12, and youngest Trixie, with their own therapeutic journeys, as well as their work together.
Though, Matt admitted they’re rarely interested in watching anything they do on screen.
He joked: “I’ve told them what we’re doing, and I think they’ve known that we’ve been to therapy together – I’m sure they’ll watch if they’re interested, but mostly they see watching us on TV as a vanity project from us.”
The series is just another project for the duo which sees them collaborating professionally, having worked together on Netflix’s Love Is Blind UK since its debut series last year.
For Matt and Emma, it’s just another layer of adding strength to their already strong bond.
“I’ve had honestly an amazing time working with Emma,” Matt said.
“I’ve always been a little jealous of some things that Emma does.
“I’m on sweaty tour buses, and she’s always off doing something awesome and glamorous.”
While there’s no news yet on what their next joint venture will be, there’s one thing you’ll never see the pair doing together – sequins and the samba.
Despite admitting they’ve been asked to take part in BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, both Matt and Emma are keen to steer clear of the dance floor, at least for now.
“I couldn’t ever imagine doing it,” Matt said.
“I actually had a nightmare once where I woke up from it, and I was stood behind a red curtain and I heard that voice go, ‘Dancing the cha-cha-cha…’ and I woke up like, ‘Ahhh!’.”
Emma chimed in: “I love the idea of it and I always talk about it, but when I watch it, I get so nervous for those contestants just walking down the stairs, I’d buckle!.”
All four episodes of Change Your Mind, Change Your Life will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am on May 13.
The first two episodes air on BBC One at 11pm.
Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club.