Matt Willis Gives ‘Very Valid Reason’ for Turning Down Strictly Come Dancing

Key Points

• Matt Willis, 43, said he has been approached several times about competing on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
• The Busted musician said Emma Willis becoming one of the programme’s new hosts has given him a “very valid reason” to decline.
• Emma Willis, 50, is presenting the 2026 series alongside Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe.
• Matt said Emma was “really happy and excited” about the opportunity and described the job as an unexpected “curveball” for their family.
• The couple already work together as presenters of Netflix’s Love Is Blind: UK, which launched in 2024.
• Matt said presenting Strictly is not something he wants to pursue, saying he would find competing on the programme particularly unappealing.
• He also spoke about his past struggles with drug and alcohol addiction and credited Emma with providing important support during his recovery.
• Matt and Emma have been married since 2008 and have three children.
• Willis is known for his career with Busted, his 2006 I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! victory and stage appearances including Wicked, Little Shop Of Horrors and Cabaret.

Britain Post News (BPN) October 3, 2026 – Matt Willis has explained why he is unlikely to accept an invitation to compete on Strictly Come Dancing, saying his wife Emma Willis’s new role as one of the BBC programme’s hosts has provided what he considers a “very valid reason” to turn the opportunity down. The Busted musician said he has been approached several times over the years about taking part in the dance competition, but he has now made clear that appearing as a contestant is not something he wants to pursue.

Why has Matt Willis said he will turn down Strictly Come Dancing?

According to Pierra Willix, Press Association senior entertainment reporter, in reporting published by The Evening Standard and The Irish News on October 3, Willis said Emma’s position on the programme had given him a straightforward reason to reject any future invitation to compete.

Willis was quoted in the reporting as saying: “Now I have a very valid reason to turn it down. I can’t think of anything worse.” He added that competing on the programme would be comparable to experiencing the first night of a theatre production every week.

The remarks do not indicate that Willis has rejected the programme because of a particular dispute with the BBC or the show. Instead, his comments present the decision as a personal preference, with his wife’s new role providing an additional reason for him not to enter the competition.

The fact that Willis has previously been approached is significant to the story because it shows that the possibility of him appearing as a contestant has existed before. His latest comments, however, make clear that he does not regard the dance floor as an attractive extension of his television career.

What role does Emma Willis have on Strictly Come Dancing?

Emma Willis has taken on a presenting role for the 2026 series of Strictly Come Dancing, working alongside comedian Josh Widdicombe and professional dancer Johannes Radebe.

The new presenting arrangement represents a change for the BBC programme, with Emma joining the presenting team after previously establishing herself as a television presenter. Her husband said the opportunity was not something the couple had expected when they looked ahead to 2026.

As reported by Evoke on October 3, Willis described Emma as “really happy and excited” about the role and said the opportunity had been a “curveball”. He said the position was something she genuinely wanted, although he believed she had initially been nervous about openly admitting that ambition.

Willis also expressed strong personal support for his wife. According to the same reporting, he said he was proud of Emma and believed she was suited to the role because of her enthusiasm for the programme.

FemaleFirst, reporting on October 3, similarly quoted Willis describing Emma as “perfect” for the position. The report said Emma is fronting the BBC Latin and ballroom dance programme with Widdicombe and Radebe.

What did Matt Willis say about Emma taking the presenting job?

Willis said the role was unexpected for the couple, describing it as something that was not part of their plans for the year.

According to reporting based on his interview with The Telegraph, he said: “Taking the biggest job on TV was not on our bingo card for 2026, but I’m so proud of her.”

He also said Emma loved the programme and was particularly enthusiastic about the opportunity. His comments provide an account of the development from the perspective of someone close to the new presenter rather than from the BBC itself.

The remarks also help explain why Willis has treated Emma’s appointment differently from his own potential involvement in the show. While he has rejected the idea of competing, he has spoken positively about Emma presenting the programme.

The distinction is important because presenting and competing represent different roles. Willis has made clear that his television work has largely remained outside the type of performance required from contestants on Strictly.

Have Matt and Emma Willis worked together on television before?

Yes. The couple have already established a joint television role through Netflix’s Love Is Blind: UK.

The programme launched in the UK in 2024 and features Emma and Matt Willis as presenters. Netflix’s official programme listing identifies both as the hosts of the reality dating series, in which British singles seek relationships and become engaged before meeting in person.

Matt told the media that Love Is Blind represents the extent of his television presenting work that he currently wants to undertake. Asked whether the couple had auditioned for Strictly, he rejected the suggestion.

“No, no,” he said, according to the reporting. “We do Love Is Blind, that’s about as far as my TV presenting goes. It’s not my bag.”

That response provides additional context for his position. His comments suggest that his involvement with television presenting does not automatically translate into an interest in becoming a Strictly contestant.

The couple’s existing work together also means Emma’s new BBC role adds another major presenting commitment to a professional relationship that already includes a Netflix production.

What has Matt Willis said about his relationship with Emma?

The interview also moved beyond Strictly and television, with Willis discussing the importance of his relationship with Emma.

Matt and Emma have been married since 2008 and have three children. During the interview, Willis said he did not know where his life would have ended up if he had not met his wife.

He has previously spoken publicly about his experiences with drug and alcohol addiction. In the latest interview, he again discussed that period of his life and said Emma played an important role in helping him change direction.

According to The Evening Standard, Willis said that if Emma had not been there, he did not know who would have helped him out of his situation. He described reaching “rock bottom” and said that having someone who loved him was important in giving him a reason to change.

The Independent, in a report by Lydia Spencer-Elliott published on October 3, also covered Willis’s comments about his recovery. The newspaper reported that he credited Emma with helping him through his addiction and quoted him discussing the effect their relationship had on his decision to change his life.

Willis has therefore connected his relationship with Emma not only to his current family life but also to an important period of personal change.

How does Matt Willis describe their relationship today?

Willis said the couple are substantially different people from when they first met.

According to The Evening Standard and Evoke, he said they had “dramatically” changed over the course of their relationship but had, in his words, fallen in love with the newer versions of themselves.

The comments came in the wider context of his discussion about recovery, marriage and family life. Rather than presenting their relationship as unchanged since their early years together, Willis described it as something that has developed alongside their individual lives.

His comments also place Emma’s new Strictly role within a longer period of professional and personal change for the couple.

What is Matt Willis known for outside Strictly?

Matt Willis became widely known as a member of Busted, the British pop-rock group associated with the early 2000s.

His career has subsequently extended into television, theatre and other entertainment work. He won the sixth series of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! in 2006, a role that increased his profile beyond music.

He has also appeared in stage productions including Wicked, Little Shop Of Horrors and Cabaret. These roles have contributed to a career that has moved between music, television and theatre.

More recently, his professional activities have included presenting alongside Emma and discussing his experiences in a forthcoming memoir.

The publication of his memoir, Mending, is also forming part of his current professional schedule. Official event listings describe the book as a personal account of his experiences with Busted, addiction, recovery, family life and rebuilding his career.

An event at the Kit Kat Club in London is scheduled for October 4, 2026, while another Mending event is due to take place at Storyhouse in Chester on October 5.

What is known about Emma Willis’s new Strictly presenting team?

Emma Willis is presenting the 2026 series with Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe. Their arrival represents a new presenting arrangement for the long-running BBC dance programme.

Reporting by TV Guide on October 3 noted that the new trio had attracted discussion from viewers following the first live programme. The publication said Emma had received positive attention for her presenting, while some of the discussion surrounding the new format focused on the three-presenter structure and Widdicombe’s role.

Those reactions are separate from Matt Willis’s comments. His interview focused primarily on Emma’s enthusiasm for the opportunity and his own lack of interest in becoming a contestant.

The reporting also shows that the 2026 series is being watched as the new presenting team establishes itself. However, the available reports do not establish a definitive long-term effect of the new format on the programme.

What does Matt Willis’s Strictly decision mean for viewers?

For Strictly Come Dancing viewers, Willis’s comments mainly provide an insight into the personal and professional circumstances surrounding Emma Willis’s new role.

There is no indication in the available reporting that Matt is preparing to join the contestant line-up. On the contrary, his remarks explicitly distance him from the idea.

His position also illustrates how the programme can intersect with the wider careers of television personalities and their families. Emma has taken a presenting position while Matt has chosen to continue his work in music, acting, presenting and his memoir-related activities.

The couple’s existing role on Love Is Blind: UK means they already have an established television partnership, but Willis has indicated that he does not want to extend that partnership into him competing on Strictly.

What is the background to Matt Willis’s comments?

The immediate background is Emma Willis’s appointment to the 2026 Strictly Come Dancing presenting team. Matt’s comments were made in an interview with The Telegraph and subsequently reported by outlets including the Press Association, The Evening Standard, The Irish News, Evoke and other entertainment publications.

Emma’s appointment followed changes to the programme’s presenting line-up. She is now working with Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe.

For Matt, meanwhile, the development comes alongside renewed attention on his personal story through the publication and promotion of Mending. Official event information describes the memoir as covering his early life, Busted, parenthood, addiction, recovery and his subsequent career.

His comments about Emma’s role therefore sit within a broader period in which both members of the couple are undertaking prominent television and media projects.

How could Matt Willis’s decision affect Strictly viewers and entertainment audiences?

The immediate effect is likely to be limited to audience interest in the relationship between Matt and Emma Willis and curiosity about whether the Busted musician could ever appear on the programme as a contestant.

There is currently no indication that Willis intends to participate. His comments instead make clear that he regards his wife’s position as a reason to remain outside the competition.

For viewers following Emma’s first series as a Strictly presenter, Matt’s public support may provide additional interest in how her new role develops. For audiences interested in Matt’s career, his decision keeps his professional focus on music, acting, presenting and the release of Mending rather than adding a dance competition to his schedule.

Any longer-term impact on Strictly itself would depend on how the new presenting arrangement develops over the remainder of the 2026 series. The available reporting at present establishes the change in the presenting team and the public reactions around its early broadcasts, but it does not provide enough evidence to draw a firm conclusion about its eventual effect on the programme.