'MARRIAGE TAKES HARD WORK AND PATIENCE'

The Voice UK presenter Emma Willis on her passion for entertainment shows, protecting her three children from the spotlight and standing by husband Matt throughout his addiction issues

- ZARA ZUBEIDI 

It’s been a big year for Emma Willis. As well as returning to her hosting duties on the new series of The Voice UK and The Voice Kids UK, the much-loved TV star supported husband Matt as he opened up about his decades-long battle with drugs and alcohol in NTA-nominated documentary Fighting Addiction.

She and Matt then appeared on Cooking With The Stars – with Emma as host and Matt as a contestant – before her pop-punk musician hubby embarked on a sell-out tour to mark the 20-year anniversary of his band Busted. And to top it all off, the couple announced their very first hosting gig as a duo on Netflix’s Love Is Blind UK.

It was understandable, then, that the busy mum-of-three was quick to confirm she wouldn’t be reprising her role as host of Big Brother ahead of its much-anticipated return. Confessing that she’d backed her pal AJ Odudu to front the reboot from the beginning, Emma, 47, said she was “really bloody looking forward to a new era” of the show.

And it’s that ability to embrace a new chapter, or rather, “era” of her own, while remaining so relatable to viewers, which drives so much of Emma’s success.

Having hosted The Voice UK for a decade, Emma reveals this series, which kicks off this weekend, will see the “toughest final we’ve had” and a surprise in store – her first-ever chance to sit in the coaches’ chair during an audition.