Emma and Matt Willis opened up about their marriage and working closely together ahead of the new Love Is Blind UK series in a new interview.
The show will deliver a record 14 engagements in series three, leaving hosts Emma and Matt surprised by just how readily its contestants embraced the experiment.
The couple are preparing to return as hosts of Love Is Blind UK series three, which they believe is the strongest run yet. The Netflix dating experiment asks single people to get to know one another in the Pods without seeing each other.
Speaking to Closer about the high number of proposals, Emma joked that the contestants were “all mad for it this year”. Matt added: “There are clearly a lot of thirsty people in the UK.”
What Love Is Blind UK has taught Emma Willis
Emma and Matt said the new series brings together people from a broad range of backgrounds, with romance, comedy and drama all promised.
Emma teased: “It has all the romance, all the love, lots of comedy, a little bit of some drama, everything you’d want from a series.”
Matt also told the magazine that viewers can expect some memorable personalities as the series progresses.
The hosts said contestants have frank conversations while looking for a husband or wife. Emma praised them for having the confidence to tackle important subjects during the dating process.
She also revealed that presenting the programme had reinforced a valuable lesson about making assumptions based on appearances.
Emma said: “It always reminds me that we should never judge a book by its cover. You can see and perceive somebody in one way, but there’s always so much that we don’t know.”
Emma and Matt Willis on working together
That focus on relationships prompted the couple to reflect on their own marriage. Emma and Matt have been married for 18 years, but sharing their professional lives has not left them desperate for time apart.
Emma said: “You’d think if you lived and worked together, you’d be like, ‘Christ, I need a break.’ But we don’t. We just absolutely love being with each other all the time.”
Matt agreed, describing Love Is Blind UK as his favourite job because he gets to present it alongside his wife.
He said: “We get to do this really cool job together, we get flown around the world with this amazing show which is all about love, and I’m with my best mate every day.”
Matt Willis recalls first-date mistake
Their first date was not quite as successful as their working partnership. The Busted star booked an upmarket restaurant because he knew Emma as a glamorous model who appeared on MTV. Unfortunately, she did not like anything on the menu.
Matt recalled: “She couldn’t eat anything on the menu because she didn’t like any of it. I could have chosen somewhere way cheaper!”
Emma added: “He didn’t realise he was going out with someone from Birmingham who didn’t care!”
Series three also allowed the pair to combine work with time in one of their favourite places. The retreat section was filmed in Ibiza, an island they have visited on and off for 20 years.
Matt described Ibiza as being like a second home, while Emma explained that knowing the island well helped them make the most of their short working visit.
Both presenters have busy schedules beyond Love Is Blind UK. Matt has been working on his On The Mend podcast following a West End run in Cabaret. Emma, meanwhile, is preparing to join Strictly Come Dancing’s new hosting trio alongside Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe.
Read more: Emma Willis fights back tears as she opens up about her children at Attitude Pride Awards
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