Tea at Four - Matt & Emma Willis Chat Love Is Blind UK: The Real Reason Most Marriages Fail (After 20 Years)

Episode Date: August 13, 2026

What does it actually take to make a marriage last for over 20 years?This week on Tea At Four, hosts Billy and Christie sit down with UK power couple Matt and Emma Willis for an incredibly honest conversation about the realities of long-term love, communication, and modern relationships.Emma opens up about why she initially resisted couples therapy - admitting she thought she "didn't have trauma" - and how a single neutral session transformed the way they communicate. They also share why you should stop trying to change your partner and the truth behind those wild internet headlines (including a fake hot tub row and a proposal interrupted by Busted fans).Plus, we ask them to play Agony Aunt and Uncle to answer your relationship dilemmas: Should you care if your partner won't post you on social media? And how do you handle a partner who is reluctant to go to therapy?Finally, Matt and Emma give us the inside scoop on hosting the highly anticipated series of Love Is Blind UK on Netflix, what to expect from the couples, and the release schedule details you need to know.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a comment with your thoughts on the "three-day rule," and share this with someone who needs to hear Matt and Emma's relationship wisdom.00:34 - Matt and Emma Willis are back: What’s changed?01:00 - Love Is Blind UK: Why this series is the best yet01:51 - Do Matt & Emma have favorite couples? (The truth about Jack & Faye)03:45 - The secret recipe behind a 20-year marriage04:25 - Falling in love with "multiple people" over time05:25 - Why you should stop trying to change your partner07:00 - Debunking the headlines: The hot tub row live on air10:50 - Debunking the headlines: Matt’s Venice proposal disaster12:45 - How Emma made the first move (The Simon Webbe story)14:07 - Debunking the "three-day" texting rule15:15 - Agony Aunt: Should you worry if they won't post you on social media?19:10 - Agony Aunt: How to talk to a partner who refuses therapy19:25 - The therapy session that saved our communication22:05 - Love Is Blind UK: Netflix release date and schedule details

I feel more now. Oh, God. Then I did, you know, for the first couple of years of our relationship. Hey guys, welcome back to Tier 4. I'm Billy. I'm Christy and this is the podcast where you talk all things that normally stay in the group chat. And today we're joined by the ever so fabulous Matt and Emma Willis. Hi.

Yes. Yeah, clap yourself. I'm clapping you. I should say welcome back because we got to do this last year. We were just saying it's so crazy that's been a year. Yeah. What's changed for you in that year? We both got quite busy, didn't we?

We did get quite busy, yeah. Matt's been on the stage in the theatre. I've done a tour and a theatre show since then. You've got strictly. Yeah. Come on. I don't know if we're allowed to talk about that. Well, we've mentioned it.

I've mentioned it, there we go. We'll move on really quickly. Elephants out of the room. It's very exciting. There you go. There you go. But you've still found time to do the show, which is already like, we were just talking about it then.

What can fans expect? Everything you want from Love is Blind is in it. It's quite a sweeping statement, I think, and this is no disrespect to the other series that have gone before, but I do think this is the best series yet. And I'm not just saying that as like, oh, you should watch it. I genuinely do believe that every single element that you want from this show is in this show.

It all comes together. It delivers in every single way. And more. Yeah. Like it gives you loads of, like we had so many interesting chats off the back of episodes. Like it's so, um, it's amazing. It's a beautiful series. And loads of tea.

Loads is great. I've never, he's never said that before in his life. I mean, you probably can't answer this, but do you have favour? Is there like certain couples that you're like? I have favour. I have favour. You definitely have people that you're rooting for, I think. Like Fay and James.

I think from the beginning when you, it was to say when they met, they didn't meet, when we met them and they started chatting, you were like, oh, there's something here. You know, so many people say, how can it happen? They never meet each other and it's so quick. And you're like, well, you can see it. Like, it's on screen for you to see. What we're watching, they're feeling probably a hundred times more. And I think you want her to really find that person who's going to treat her really well because she's had such bad luck, pre-year. with men and Jack is just this live wire liability that you're like come on Jack you can do it

be the man but you're just waiting you're just waiting for it to go wrong yeah he's perfect he's brilliant we saw a lot of you in him yeah yeah yeah I was watching him go oh no no yeah yeah yeah exactly all the couples that you see come together throughout the series and then follow along kind of the rest of their adventure to the altar. They're all, they were couples that were all really worth investing in as a viewer and watching because they really kind of made you think, they made you laugh, they made you, I mean, I think you cried the most this year. Yeah, multiple times.

Oh my gosh, we're really in for a joke. Don't get me starting now. Don't get me starting now. We forgot about that. I did, didn't you? We said we wouldn't mention that. I mean, what I love about it is that like, they genuinely just feel like real people. They are, Billy.

Yeah, I know. It's crazy, isn't it? Yeah, they are. But I think you can see someone you know in all of them. Yeah. Like, you're like, oh, they're all relatable. Yeah, they're all relatable. People often describe you guys as the power couple.

Like, you guys are each other seeking into the yang. So what is it that makes? I find that's so funny when it was like, yeah. We're like, we haven't gone, f***. That's the beauty. Are we? You two are just like living your lives. but people really idolise you as a couple.

Do you have a secret recipe? We just really like each other still. Yeah, I mean, I love him. I fancy him. He's my best friend and he's really, you know, along with the kids, the only person I really want to spend all my time with, which I think he's really,

after like over 20 years that you still, in fact, not still feel, that way, but I feel more now, oh, God. Then I did, you know, for the first couple of years of our relationship. Like it just gets, it sounds really whittie to say, it just gets better and better. It really has. And I think that's because you grow together, you evolve together, you change as humans, like constantly throughout your relationship.

And you have heard someone else say this, I can remember who it was, but you don't just fall in love with one person, but you fall in love with multiple people over the time that you're with that one person because you change. Was it? Yeah, but you've got that. Last year in this podcast. I got it for someone else. So it is, you know, you've kind of got a move and terminate each other

and hope that you still like and fancy the people along the way. I met up with a friend of mine. And you've got to put work in and work at it. Yeah. Yeah. Go on. I met up with a friend of mine recently who I hadn't really spent much time with for like 20 odd years or something. it was like, oh, you've really changed.

And I was like, haven't you? Yeah. Do I mean, that's what time does? Yeah. I think everyone should be changing and evolving. Yeah, absolutely. And that's marriage. That's what it is.

You know, it's about kind of like, you know, things get thrown at you and you change and you evolve, you know. But the essence of it is us, you know, and we do it as a team. And also, you've got to want to do it. Yeah. Yeah. Because it's easy to go, fuck this. You know what I mean? I'm out.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. on the floor too much. I can't be doing that every day. That's also so funny about this show as well is that you see people go, oh, I wouldn't do this, I couldn't do this, I couldn't deal with anyone who doesn't spend this on a date, all these kind of like tick list of what's okay. And you're missing out on someone amazing because they don't meet one criteria, you know, when you don't know what the person is.

I feel like every relationship works best when there are things you dislike about someone. And like, you know, you can't, no one is perfect. And it should be different people. Yeah. And not trying to. to change someone. Exactly. There have been times when we've tried to change each other. Yeah.

And actually, you kind of go, yeah, but I love all of him, so all of her. So why am I trying to change? Let's communicate and go, this is piss me off. This is not working for me. Rather than going, well, it's not working. How do we make it work for both of us or how do we work around it? swings around about. But at the same time, I haven't got f***ed loose.

No. Beautifully said. Now, one of my favorite parts of what we did last time is when we gave you some headlines and you debunked them and told them whether they were true or I think you told us some of the craziest stuff you'd read online. Yeah. And they were just completely out there. You can tell us if they're true, if they're false.

Okay. Oh, my God. My original dip. The first one, Matt and Emma Willis have a huge row in the Hot Tub live on Yeah. Yeah, isn't it? Well, that's kind of true, but it was a fake argument. Right.

So this was when we did celebrity sabotage. But isn't it wonderful what creates Clickbait? Oh my God, exactly. This was for Celebrity Sabotage. Nice. We had an earpiece in and people were telling us what to do. And they were telling us to have this row on a hot tub. And Emma went in.

Like, I mean, she was fully method. Like, before we did the show, we had like a pre-production meeting. And they were like, we've got this idea. How do you feel about it? And we were like, yeah, that could be fun. I thought it sounds really awkward as well. The task was you've got to try and get this couple out of the hot tub before you. And that's how you win money for them.

So we were like, well, there are two ways that we can make them feel awkward. One is get sexy. Yeah. And one is have a rath. And he was like, oh. And I was like, I am not getting sad in a hot tub. You can forget about it. It was like, all right, we'll have a row.

It's not my first choice, but it worked well. It was, we were in there for half an hour. You saw 90 seconds. They would not leave. Also, it wasn't very well planned. Like, we didn't have like a strategy or anything. We didn't know what the round was going to be about. So we were just all just freestlining.

And it actually started with Matt getting sexy. Do you remember that? Yeah, yeah. Well, I tried one tactic and instantly died a death. I was like, okay. But that was good actually because that's how the disagreement kind of started, wasn't it? So he got in and what did you say?

You were like, hot tubs make me feel fruity or something. Oh, something like that. I don't know about you, but hot tubs make me feel fruity. Or something like, they obviously didn't air that bit. Or something like that. And I went... Just you get it flowing. And I wanted to laugh, but instead I was like, Matt,

don't say that. And then that's what he's like, oh, shut up. Flick me with water, which I didn't know he was going to do. And I'm like, all right, we're in. Yeah. But they... Did you not hear them in your ear say flicker with water? No.

In my ear, they were like, Matt flicker with water. I wonder if they only told you so that I didn't know what was coming. So they got a genuine reaction from you. And then I... I actually don't know if you're turning the truth that I think you're trying to cover up your... Yeah, he might say. They told me to do it in my ear. They were adamant.

It was pre-planned. And then I took it even further and went, pshh. Oh my God. And splashed him. But I splashed him so much. that I soaked his earpiece so then he was on his own weren't you? Which is dangerous for me. He wasn't getting anything.

Yeah. There was no holding back. Yeah but it took it was a they were blessed that couple. They were they were so uncomfortable and they tried so hard didn't they it's all right. Don't you worry come on Matt don't be like that. Also they didn't speak to me for the rest of filming. Yeah. They didn't know it was fake, obviously, so they thought it was real. So they were like, literally, I walked down the corridor and they were walking in it.

The Jasons. And they were walking the other way and they both went. Morning Emma. Hated me. Morning Emma, blanked me. Really? Yeah. Oh my God.

Because they thought it was meaning. Yeah. I thought, you'll see. He's a nice guy, really. The next one we have is Matt's proposal to Emma was interrupted by busted fans singing. Oh, that's 50% true. 50% true. Well, it wasn't really a busted fan.

I don't think they were busted. Again, that's like two halves of the story mush together. Yeah. I took it to a restaurant in Venice to propose. And it was in Venice in this restaurant. And there was a table of Brummies, like just a couple of tables away from us. Who I heard a few kind of like remarks and kind of I heard the word busted and like all that kind of stuff. I was like, oh no.

I'm going to get that in one knee in a minute. And luckily before camera phones. But then one of them started to sing a busted song, year for a thousand. I was like, oh, no. Time to get out here. So I thought maybe. Exactly. That would have been a more apt.

So I didn't propose there and went for a walk and I proposed somewhere else. Oh my gosh. For all my plans. At least it was before. Which is good because in a restaurant would have been awkward, right? Yeah, it would have been really. Because it was the only other table in the restaurant, wasn't it? Yeah.

Yeah. There wasn't many people in there. I don't think I'd like a proposal in a restaurant as well. All right. Sorry. No. What about you? I'm more of a, oh, this is the thing.

I'm an extra introvert. So I feel like I've got an ugly cry. So please do not propose to me where there's people that around me that don't look at the. Oh, I think we need to address this right. There is nothing better than ugly crying because it's real. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? That's from the soul.

Yeah. Yeah. But there's like the, the, look, oh, no. I like that. I like that. It's the. I like that. I'm trying to.

I'd find that really cute. Rewin your makeup if you're feeling excited or sad or vulnerable. I want snot coming out of your nose. I want the whole thing. Yeah, I want the whole thing. Any kind of fluid from any orifice. Yeah, go for it. Not at a restaurant.

Yeah. Not in your spaghetti. A smack bowl. Okay, the next one we've got is Emma Willis made the first move on Matt with Simon from Blues help. Yeah, that is absolutely true. isn't it? Yeah, Matt, I like this story

because it paints me out really well. Matt and I had met about a month before and got on really well and then we hadn't seen each other for ages and he was on Saturday night takeaway and I was sat at home watching it because I didn't have a social life. And I was like, oh, he was really fun.

How can I get in touch with him? and Blue were on Saturday Night Takeaway at the same time. I didn't know either band. But I did know someone that knew Simon Webb really well. So I called my friend and said, can you call Simon, give him my number to pass on to Matt? That's the coolest thing. That's literally what happened.

So cool. I didn't know Simon Webb at all, really. And he knocked on my dressing room and handed me a telephone. and on the end was Tim Cash from from TRL and he was like Emma Griffiths wants to get hold of you I was like literally couldn't believe my luck oh my god I love that I couldn't trust any of my friends to do that for me

no way no they probably I was a really cool move I was like props so I waited two days and a quarter I think it was three wasn't it was three yeah the advice the consensus in the dressing room as you have to wait a couple of days. You can't be too eager. Can we just say, right, let's just debunk that.

For any man watching that gets told by another man, don't call her for a few days, it'll make you look better. It doesn't. It does not. Stop playing games. I don't even know if I'm looking at the right camera. Yeah, yeah. All that is b***-st.

Stop it. If you like, someone, tell them. Pick up the phone, go for it. There's also a strict song which I love called Don't Mug Yourself. And in that he talked about not calling her too quickly. So I was following advice. Terrible advice. Don't listen to it.

No. It worked out all right. Yes. We just said. I always say when you text somebody, let him marinate a bit. But if you really want something, just go ahead and make the call. Like, why are you making me away? Do you not invite to me?

I was like, just call me. Call me now. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. All those games, it's just like, oh, it's too anxiety-inducing. I completely agree. You've given some great advice there

So we have two stories from our followers And we'd like to read them out to you And then you give us your thoughts and your Advice So we're playing agony art, man Agony art, right Oh, agony Matt Agony Matt

Agony Matt Bum, boom, boom Let's go I think we could do a new show with this Agony Matt Bum, boom, boom Okay Agony Matt and Emma

Bum Okay, sorry Agony Matt and Auntie Emma That's got a really good thing. We should have podcast. The first one is my boyfriend refuses to post about me on social media because he said it's better to keep private

than post about the rest of his life all the time. Am I overreacting by getting upset by this? I think it depends how new the relationship is. You know, if it's a couple of weeks, maybe it's a bit, you know, less like a strong move, isn't it, to post about someone you're dating, I think? But if it's been a while, you're slacking. Yeah, I think.

Especially if you're posting all the time. Yeah, about the rest of your life. What are your thoughts? I've got quite, it's quite hard for me, us, I think, because we didn't date in this era of like, this means something. Do you know what I mean? It's like a status on, I'm saying things.

I don't even know what that, how that works, even because I've never done it. But, you know. What we call it like a strong release? Oh, no. Was it called? Soft launch or hard launch. Not a strong release.

Not a strong release. That's something totally different. Do you find that on other platforms? Don't post a strong release. You'll get cancelled. Your hard launch. Yes. You know, that's the word, isn't it?

Hard launch, right? Yeah, I think you can soft launch. I think there is something about protecting the earth. stages of your relationship until you're absolutely sure. But if you're both in and you're both committed and you're absolutely sure, then why not? But also at the same time, if you, you know, maybe you do want privacy in your private life. Yeah. I think there is a balance if you didn't post her online, but all your close friends, family,

you know, the intimate kind of circles know. That's so laughing. Sorry, Kristen. It's okay. Your intimate family and friends know. I don't think there should be a problem. I feel that those are the people that actually do. are within your relationship.

So those online are just spectators. Yeah. Yeah. Does it all really matter? Do you know what I mean? I mean, maybe it does to her though, right? It obviously does mean something to her. Because I think she's probably worried about the relationship, by the sounds of the thing.

She's like, is this real to him or not? Yeah. You know, so she wants that. So if she, has she told him that? Because I would say ask him about it because if it's like, if it's causing her problem. Like you said, if you're well cemented and you're in a relationship and you know all of their friends and all of their family and you're always out together and you're always mixing together.

So the real world knows that this is real. That should be what matters rather than your picture being on social media. Yeah. I think that's very well said. I like that. Because it's making me remember when I was posted as a tall guide instead of about you. Oh my God, Christi. Yeah, sorry.

I was in a relationship with a guy who went on holiday. and our friends knew, but the social media didn't know. And he put a vlog out and he literally titled me, Free Frame, Name, Tour Guide. Stop it. I hope you biffed him off. Yeah, we're not. Yeah.

That's my favourite story. Tell me you're not still together. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. In the bin. Yeah, yeah. That's a binnable offence, I think. Yeah. The next one we have is,

my husband struggles to communicate with me about his emotions. And when I bring up therapy, he is really reluctant. It's starting to make me question our marriage. How do I get through to him? Well, this is very similar to me and Matt actually because Matt suggested therapy

to me for us and I was quite reluctant about it because I was like, I don't need therapy. Well, I'm great. I got no trauma from my childhood. And he was like, wasn't I? You were, that's exactly what you're like. You were looking at me then like, who is this? I love that trauma.

But also you were kind of like worried because I think when you mention the word therapy, a couple might think, oh no, we're in trouble. Yeah. You know, which is like, which is maybe a way that people might think about it. I don't think of it like that. I think of it as like precautionary. Yeah. It's like it's like before anything becomes big, let's address stuff. You know, otherwise it can become bigger than it needs to be.

You know, and I was like, let's just, let's never have any problem. And you said trouble with communicate. Yeah, right. And I think that's the thing sometimes. You can feel like you have really good communication with each other. But actually, if you are at a point where you can't kind of, there's a sticking point, you can't quite see each other's point of view. So it's like always your way or always that way. Like we said earlier, there's, there are many ways to address everything. So how do you find your way around that? And sometimes it takes a neutral outsider to kind of sit in your situation and go, oh, okay. well, let's hear that and let's hear that. And kind of question you both about your feelings. What are you actually saying? Yeah. And what is the, what's the basis of all of this?

And who are you two? And as a couple, what do you want from this? And if your outcome is to make our relationship better and stronger and be together until we die and beyond, then you'll find a way through it. So I think if you really, really love each other and want to get past whatever is sticking. then go and get outside help if that is what is going to get you through it. It's been transformative for us, hasn't it? Absolutely.

And also, and like we haven't needed it since because we found a way to kind of like communicate better in that room. Do I mean, like, we always thought we had good communication, but at certain things we're like, I can't see her point of view here. Yeah. You know, and I think that's the thing, like at a certain point of relationship, you will no longer want to win an argument. You'll want to understand why you're having the argument.

Do I mean? And I think that was a point for us. I want to understand why this is happening rather than I want to win. Because what's the point in that, you know. I guess that kind of goes back to what we were talking about at the beginning of like growing together, learning together. Yeah. Overcoming it. And a beautiful way to end our time together.

Ah, I know. I wish we could have all day. Yeah, I know. Yeah. Mind off of where they can find Love is Blind season three. Oh, on Netflix, of course. Of course. Of course.

Okay. Actually, in around the world. When's it out? Don't know. August? 19th of August. That's some big we haven't been. Yeah.

19th of August. There's a different release schedule this time as always so I'm quite excited about. Yeah. I don't know if I can mention anything about that. I can. Can you remember it? I think I can. Do you get eight?

Do you get eight first? Right. So yes, the first drop is eight episodes. Amazing. Because I think people got annoyed about that, didn't they? 19th of August. Yeah. Because normally you just get four and you have to wait for a while, but they get eight.

That's a good amount. And then they wait. like about a week or so and then they get the weddings and then the reunion reunion reunion is my favorite part i love the reunion i love and dread the reunion yeah i love it but also i'm like wow okay come on it's year three it's year three we've got it we've got it we've got it give it up for matt and hammer everybody thank you so much thank you both so much thank what was i mean from lea my back of my boyfriend That's not what I was getting at.

You know what I was getting at.