Matt Willis regrets appearing on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
Matt Willis considers his stint on I'm a Celebrity to have been a mistake.
Matt Willis thinks he made a "mistake" appearing on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!.
The 42-year-old singer won the sixth series of the ITV reality show back in 2006, but Matt has now suggested that the aftermath of his success actually worsened his drink and drug addiction.
The Busted co-founder - who is married to TV presenter Emma Willis - told the On The Mend podcast: "I was in a pretty bad place.
"The record company basically weren't going to release my solo album ... They said, 'You've got to do something to raise your profile. Will you go on I'm A Celebrity?' I went, 'Yep, absolutely. Anything, please release my album.'"
Although Matt initially jumped at the chance to star on the ITV show, he ultimately came to regret his decision in the long term.
He said: "Once I came out of that show, I realised no one cared that I had a record out. Everywhere I went, they just wanted to talk about I'm A Celebrity. And it really bummed me out.
"Before I went on that show, I was only really famous to Busted fans. Then I came out and everyone knew who I was.
"When you're in active addiction - which I was at the time - and you just want to hide, that's the worst thing that can happen. Suddenly there were paps everywhere I went. I'd get in a cab and the driver would say, 'Hello Matt'. It was such a weird experience."
Matt now thinks he made a mistake by agreeing to appear on the TV show, even though it helped to raise his profile.
The pop star felt like he actually "lost [himself]" through the experience.
Matt - who has been married to Emma since 2008 - said: "I realised I'd probably made a bit of a mistake going on that show. I should have been coming out feeling great because I won - but I didn't.
"I felt like I won the show but lost myself. I'd become known for being a celebrity rather than for my music."
