An Evening With Matt Willis
Join musician, actor, and presenter Matt Willis for an evening of discussion and reflection as we celebrate the release of his memoir, Mending: Busted, Breaking and Getting Better. Mending is his first book.
Matt will be in conversation with television personality and motivational speaker Scott Thomas, discussing his life, career, and stories featured in this exciting release. Afterwards, Matt will be taking your questions, before signing copies of his brand new book.
Every book + ticket comes with a copy of Mending, that Matt will sign and dedicate on the day.
About Mending: Busted, Breaking and Getting Better
As part of Busted, Matt Willis played to the biggest crowds, toured the world, and was the wild and daring face of noughties pop. But when the shows were over there was always something else on his mind – alcohol, drugs and keeping the party going.
Twenty years later, Matt has forged a career as a solo musician, actor, presenter and podcast host. He’s happily married to presenter Emma Willis, with three amazing children, and has been clean and sober for eight years. He is in recovery. But the journey doesn’t stop. From the temptations of touring, the pressures of career evolution, and the feeling that addiction can be hard-wired, it’s something he works at every day, and something he is passionate about sharing with others who might be struggling.
On one level, this is Matt’s story, from a vulnerable start on a Surrey council estate, via stage school and finding his tribe, through relationships (good and bad), parenthood, huge success, rock bottom, to finally finding a way back to who he truly is. But it’s not your typical memoir. It’s also a story of how to recover: a roadmap of resilience and hope that shows that it’s not being fixed that’s the goal, it’s mending.
About Matt Willis
Matt Willis is a musician, actor and broadcaster who uses his platform to raise awareness about addiction and recovery.
Best known as the co-founder, bassist and co-vocalist of the iconic pop rock band Busted, the band have been recognised as pioneering an era-defining sound of pop rock – releasing four studio albums, four UK number ones and gaining nine platinum awards along the way.
Since leaving the band, Matt has become a star of the stage and screen, starring in hit theatre shows such as Waitress, Little Shop of Horrors, 2:22 Ghost Story and Cabaret, as well as Eastenders, Birds of a Feather and winning I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!
His critically acclaimed BBC documentary, Fighting Addiction, aired in 2023, and he started his podcast, 'On the Mend' in the same year. The podcast looks back at life’s hardest moments to understand how to move forward, with honesty, heart, and hope.
Mending is his first book.
About Scott Thomas
Scott Thomas is a Manchester-based motivational speaker, author and TEDx speaker with over 2 million followers across social platforms. After spending more than a decade as a nightclub promoter, Scott went through a period of losing his sense of direction and identity, which ultimately led him to immerse himself in personal development and human performance. That experience now sits at the heart of his work, as he’s committed to helping people unlock their limitless potential and become their True Self. His high-energy talks explore self-awareness, mindset, limiting beliefs, visualisation and personal accountability. Scott is also the author of What’s Blocking You?, his debut personal development book, and Founder of The Social PR, a leading experiential marketing and talent management agency working with global brands.