Can a relationship SURVIVE ADDICTION?

After Emma Willis revealed the challenges of living with an addict, we speak to another woman who knows just how she felt

- MISHAAL KHAN

He wants answers. He wants to know... will he ever be fixed?’ That’s what TV presenter Emma Willis says about her husband, Matt. A devoted father of three and an accomplished pop star, the Busted band member has reached great heights of success. But what many people didn’t know before now is that he was an addict.

In poignant scenes in a new documentary, Matt and Emma have opened up about his dependency on drugs and alcohol, and the monumental impact it has had on their family. There were days Matt couldn’t get to midday without a drink, and other days he was taking 6g of cocaine. His last relapse was in 2017, and he has been admitted to rehab four times.

‘Living with somebody with an addiction is unpredictable and anxiety inducing,’ Emma tells the documentary. Matt has been clean now for five years and, like many others, Emma has stood by her husband as he has battled his demons. We speak to another woman whose own marriage was put to the test by addiction.

Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction is available on BBC iPlayer now

‘I WAS READY TO LEAVE OUR MARRIAGE’

Rachel Lindley Love, 52, lives in Rotherham with her husband, Jason, 44, and their 13-year-old daughter. When you look at Jason and me, you’ll see a couple happily married for 18 years, very much in love, with a daughter and lives they are proud of. But what you won’t see is Jason’s addiction, which tore through our family and almost ruined our relationship entirely.