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Emma Louise Willis (' Griffiths; born 18 March 1976) is an English broadcaster. She is known for her television and radio work with Channel 5,
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
,
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...
and
Heart FM Heart is a network of thirteen independent adult contemporary radio stations in the United Kingdom, broadcasting a mix of local and networked programming, although only the stations in Scotland and Wales still have their own shows. Ten of the s ...
.Emma Willis replaces Brian Dowling as presenter of ‘Big Brother’
. Telly Spy (2 April 2013). Retrieved 31 March 2014.
Willis presented the Channel 5 reality shows '' Big Brother'' and ''
Celebrity Big Brother ''Celebrity Big Brother'' or ''Big Brother VIP'' is an adaptation of the '' Big Brother'' reality television series. It is the celebrity version of its parent franchise ''Big Brother'', the celebrity version airs in several countries, however, t ...
'' (2013–2018), as well as the spin-off show ''
Big Brother's Bit on the Side This is a complete list of shows about and relating to ''Big Brother UK'' and ''Celebrity Big Brother (British TV series), Celebrity Big Brother''. The civilian edition originally ran from 2000 to 2018, and again since 2023. The celebrity editio ...
'' (2011–2015). She presented the
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
and
ITV1 ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the ITV (TV network), Channel 3 ...
talent competition show ''
The Voice UK ''The Voice UK'' is a British singing reality competition television series. Created by John de Mol and Roel van Velzen, it premiered on BBC One on 24 March 2012. Based on the original Dutch singing competition '' The Voice of Holland'', and ...
'' (2014–present), and the children's spin-off '' The Voice Kids UK'' (2017–2023). In 2019 and 2021, Willis presented the second and third series of the reality show '' The Circle'' on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
. In 2024, she became a co-host of the
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
dating show '' Love Is Blind: UK'', alongside her husband
Matt Willis Matt Willis (born 8 May 1983) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, television personality and actor. He is known as co-founder, bassist and co-vocalist of the pop-punk band Busted (band), Busted. Willis released his debut solo album ''Do ...
.


Early life

Emma Willis was born in
Sutton Coldfield Sutton Coldfield or the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield ( ), is a town and civil parish in the city of Birmingham, West Midlands County, West Midlands, England. The town lies around 8 miles northeast of Birmingham city centre, 9 miles south of L ...
,
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
, attending Wylde Green Primary School and then
John Willmott School The Royal Sutton School is a coeducational secondary school located in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England. It is part of the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership, a local Multi Academy Trust. After consultation The Royal Sutton School c ...
in Sutton Coldfield. She began modelling at the age of 15, and during her career worked for a range of magazines, retailers and companies including ''
Marie Claire ''Marie Claire'' (stylized in all lowercase; ) is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages. The feature editions focus on women aro ...
'', ''
Elle Elle may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Elle (magazine), ''Elle'' (magazine), a fashion publication ** Elle Style Awards * Elle (India), ''Elle'' (India), the Indian edition * Elle (film), ''Elle'' (film), a 2016 French film * ''Elle: ...
'', ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...
'', GAP and
Chanel Chanel ( , ) is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. It is privately owned by French brothers, Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, through the holding company Chanel Limited, established in 2018 and headquarte ...
.


Career

Willis got her first big break presenting on
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
in 2002 before presenting various other shows, including guest-hosting shows such as '' CD:UK'', ''
This Morning This Morning may refer to: * ''This Morning'' (TV programme), a British daytime television programme * ''This Morning'' (radio program), a Canadian radio show which aired from 1997 to 2002 * ''CBS This Morning'', an American morning show, succes ...
'' and ''
Loose Women ''Loose Women'' (known as ''Live Talk'' from 2000 to 2001) is a British talk show that broadcasts on ITV weekdays from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. The show focuses on a panel of four female presenters who interview celebrities, talk about aspects of ...
''.


ITV

In 2007, Willis presented
ITV2 ITV2 is a Television in the United Kingdom, British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the fiv ...
spin-off series '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW!'' with her husband Matt before departing in 2008. She presented numerous episodes of ''
The Hot Desk ''The Hot Desk'' is a British music interview show that has been hosted by a number of presenters including Nicole Appleton, Melanie Blatt, Dave Berry, Emma Willis, Laura Whitmore, Sarah Jane Crawford and Alice Levine. The show was produce ...
'' on ITV2 between 2008 and 2014. In September 2012, Willis became a permanent presenter on ''
This Morning This Morning may refer to: * ''This Morning'' (TV programme), a British daytime television programme * ''This Morning'' (radio program), a Canadian radio show which aired from 1997 to 2002 * ''CBS This Morning'', an American morning show, succes ...
'', presenting segments in ''The Hub'', taking over from
Coleen Nolan Coleen Patricia Nolan (born 12 March 1965) is an English singer, television personality and author. She was a member of the pop group The Nolans, in which she sang with her sisters. With over 30 million records sold worldwide, The Nolans are on ...
. The feature was axed in 2014. She was also a stand-in presenter on the main show when
Holly Willoughby Holly Marie Willoughby ( ; born 10 February 1981) is an English television presenter, author and model. She has presented various television shows for ITV, most notably '' This Morning'' (2009–2023) and '' Dancing on Ice'' (2006–2011, 201 ...
or
Ruth Langsford Ruth Wendy Langsford (born 17 March 1960) formerly known as Ruth Holmes is an English television presenter. She has presented various television shows, including ''This Morning (TV programme), This Morning'' (1999–2022), of which she is the ...
were absent and returned to guest present the show with
Rylan Clark-Neal Ross Richard Clark (born 25 October 1988), commonly known as Rylan Clark, is an English broadcaster and television personality. He came to prominence as a contestant on the ninth series of the television talent show ''The X Factor'' in 2012, in ...
in 2018. Willis hosted two series of the
ITV2 ITV2 is a Television in the United Kingdom, British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the fiv ...
reality show '' Girlfriends'' in 2012 and 2013. On 16 November 2012, Willis was a guest anchor ''
Loose Women ''Loose Women'' (known as ''Live Talk'' from 2000 to 2001) is a British talk show that broadcasts on ITV weekdays from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. The show focuses on a panel of four female presenters who interview celebrities, talk about aspects of ...
'' and has since presented on several occasions as a stand-in presenter. In 2013, Willis guest presented an episode of ''
The Paul O'Grady Show ''The Paul O'Grady Show'' was a British comedy chat show presented by comedian Paul O'Grady, first shown on 11 October 2004. The programme was a teatime chat show consisting of a mixture of celebrity guests, comic stunts, musical performances ...
'', while O'Grady was away. In 2013, Willis co-presented the
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...
game show ''
Prize Island ''Prize Island'' is a British television game show produced by Initial for ITV. The series was presented by Alexander Armstrong and Emma Willis. It was originally aired from 27 October to 1 December 2013 and ran for six episodes. In June 2013, ...
'' with
Alexander Armstrong Alexander Henry Fenwick Armstrong (born 2 March 1970) is an English actor, comedian, radio personality, television presenter, singer and farmer. He is the host of the BBC One game show ''Pointless'', and is a weekday morning-show presenter on C ...
. In 2015, Willis was a team captain on the six-part ITV2 comedy panel show ''
Reality Bites ''Reality Bites'' is a 1994 American romantic comedy-drama film written by Helen Childress and directed by Ben Stiller in his feature directorial debut. It stars Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, and Stiller, with supporting roles by Janeane Garofa ...
'', hosted by
Stephen Mulhern Stephen Daniel Mulhern (born 4 April 1977) is an English television presenter, entertainer, magician and comedian. He began his career at CITV presenting the children’s television shows '' Finger Tips'' (2001–2004) and '' Tricky TV'' (2005 ...
. On 2 July 2015, it was announced that Willis would present a new three-part series for ITV called ''What Would Be Your Miracle'', about modern miracles. The series began on 28 April 2016. In January 2017, ''
The Voice UK ''The Voice UK'' is a British singing reality competition television series. Created by John de Mol and Roel van Velzen, it premiered on BBC One on 24 March 2012. Based on the original Dutch singing competition '' The Voice of Holland'', and ...
'' moved from
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
to ITV. It was confirmed on 9 June 2016 that Willis would present the series after co-hosting three previous series on the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
. She also presented two series of ''
The Voice Kids ''The Voice Kids'' is a version of '' The Voice'' TV series franchise in which children participate. Versions The first such variation was '' The Voice Kids'' from the Netherlands, which was followed by other international variants: : Franchise ...
'' on ITV since 2017. In 2017, she presented '' The BRITs Are Coming'' live on ITV. She co-presented the ''
2017 BRIT Awards Brit Awards 2017 was held on 22 February 2017 and was the 37th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The awards ceremony were held at The O2 Arena in London. Emma Willis hosted ''The Brits Are Coming'', the laun ...
'' in February alongside
Dermot O'Leary Seán Dermot O'Leary (born 24 May 1973) is a British-Irish broadcaster. He presented the television talent show ''The X Factor'' on ITV from 2007 until its final series in 2018, with the exception of 2015. Since 2021, O'Leary has presented ITV' ...
. She hosted ''The BRITs Are Coming'' for a second year in 2018. She presented ''Your Song'' in 2017, a one-off special for ITV. On 3 March 2018, Willis made a surprise appearance on ''
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway ''Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway'' (referred to simply as ''Saturday Night Takeaway'', ''Takeaway'' or ''SNT'') is a British television variety show, presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloquially known as Ant & Dec), ...
'', as she presented Win the Ads while the main hosts playing the game as part of the show's 100th episode.


Channel 4

In 2007, Willis guest hosted the tenth week of ''
Big Brother's Big Mouth This is a complete list of shows about and relating to ''Big Brother UK'' and ''Celebrity Big Brother''. The civilian edition originally ran from 2000 to 2018, and again since 2023. The celebrity edition ran from 2001 to 2018, and again since 20 ...
''. In 2010, Willis began presenting a ''Celebrity Big Brother'' online spin-off show entitled ''Celebrity Big Brother's Big i''. While presenting the online spin-off in the same series, Willis also presented another edition of ''Big Mouth'' when
Davina McCall Davina Lucy Pascale McCall (born 16 October 1967) is an English television presenter. She has presented various television shows for Channel 4, including ''Streetmate'' (1998–2001, 2016), ''Big Brother (British TV series), Big Brother'' (2 ...
entered the ''Big Brother'' house as part of a task. She was then later announced as the new co-presenter on the final series of ''
Big Brother's Little Brother This is a complete list of shows about and relating to ''Big Brother UK'' and ''Celebrity Big Brother''. The civilian edition originally ran from 2000 to 2018, and again since 2023. The celebrity edition ran from 2001 to 2018, and again since 20 ...
'', hosting opposite
George Lamb George Martin Lamb (born 20 December 1979) is an English former radio and television presenter, farmer and businessman. In 2012, he presented the Channel 4 game show ''The Bank Job''. He is the son of actor Larry Lamb. Education Born in Hammer ...
. In 2019, Willis replaced
Alice Levine Alice Levine (born 8 July 1986) is an English radio and television presenter, writer, narrator and comedian. Early life and education Levine was born in Beeston, Nottinghamshire. Levine studied English at the University of Leeds, where she me ...
and
Maya Jama Maya Indea Jama ( ; born 14 August 1994) is a British television presenter and radio DJ. She co-presented BBC One's '' Peter Crouch: Save Our Summer'' alongside Peter Crouch and Alex Horne and was the presenter of the BBC Three competition '' ...
as host of '' The Circle''.


Channel 5

In 2010, it was announced that Willis would replace
Melinda Messenger Melinda Jane Messenger (born 23 February 1971) is an English television presenter and former glamour photography, glamour model and Page Three girl. She presented the magazine programme ''Live from Studio Five'' and was formerly the co-Televisio ...
on the Channel 5 series ''
Live from Studio Five ''Live from Studio Five'' was an early-evening British magazine programme produced by Sky News for Channel 5. It was presented by Kate Walsh and a lineup of co-presenters. It featured interviews and discussions on topical issues, emphasizing sh ...
'', but after only two months, Willis announced she would be departing in order to co-present ''
Big Brother's Little Brother This is a complete list of shows about and relating to ''Big Brother UK'' and ''Celebrity Big Brother''. The civilian edition originally ran from 2000 to 2018, and again since 2023. The celebrity edition ran from 2001 to 2018, and again since 20 ...
'' and was therefore replaced by
Jayne Middlemiss Jayne Middlemiss is an English television and radio presenter. She began presenting music television shows including '' The O Zone'' and ''Top of the Pops'' in the mid-1990s, as well as other television and radio shows, including on BBC Radio 6 ...
.Emma Willis quits Live From Studio Five , Unreality TV
. Primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk (14 May 2010). Retrieved 31 March 2014.
In 2011, it was confirmed that she would be returning to the revived series, presenting the spin-off show ''
Big Brother's Bit on the Side This is a complete list of shows about and relating to ''Big Brother UK'' and ''Celebrity Big Brother (British TV series), Celebrity Big Brother''. The civilian edition originally ran from 2000 to 2018, and again since 2023. The celebrity editio ...
''. On 13 March 2013, it was reported that Brian Dowling would be axed from '' Big Brother'' and be replaced by Willis with a source saying, 'Brian has been a great host but Emma is seen by channel chiefs as a true successor to Davina. They're talking to her now about taking over the role from the summer.'Big Brother: Brian Dowling to be replaced by Emma Willis as host? – Big Brother News – Reality TV
Digital Spy (13 March 2013). Retrieved 31 March 2014.
It was later confirmed, on 2 April 2013 by Channel 5 that Willis would be replacing Dowling as the new host of ''Big Brother''. On 13 June 2013, she began presenting the fourteenth series of ''Big Brother''. Even though Willis presents the main ''Big Brother'' and celebrity series, she still continued to host the spin-off show ''Bit on the Side'', sharing the presenting duties with
Rylan Clark Ross Richard Clark (born 25 October 1988), commonly known as Rylan Clark, is an English broadcaster and television personality. He came to prominence as a contestant on the The X Factor (British series 9), ninth series of the television talent s ...
. On 2 February 2015, it was announced that Willis was to present her final edition of ''Bit on the Side'' that night, and Clark would take over as the main presenter of the spin off show. Willis infamously
interrogated Interrogation (also called questioning) is interviewing as commonly employed by law enforcement officers, military personnel, intelligence agencies, organized crime syndicates, and terrorist organizations with the goal of eliciting useful inf ...
Winston McKenzie Winston Truman McKenzie (born 23 October 1953) is a British political activist and perennial candidate for public office. He is currently a founder and leader of the Unity in Action Party. He has been a member of every major UK political party, a ...
during his exit interview on ''
Celebrity Big Brother ''Celebrity Big Brother'' or ''Big Brother VIP'' is an adaptation of the '' Big Brother'' reality television series. It is the celebrity version of its parent franchise ''Big Brother'', the celebrity version airs in several countries, however, t ...
'' over his controversial opinions. Willis has expressed personal pride on this moment in her career. On 30 March 2014, Willis presented the ''Mum of the Year Awards'', with the highlights being shown on Channel 5 that same evening.


BBC

In 2013, Willis was confirmed as the replacement for
Holly Willoughby Holly Marie Willoughby ( ; born 10 February 1981) is an English television presenter, author and model. She has presented various television shows for ITV, most notably '' This Morning'' (2009–2023) and '' Dancing on Ice'' (2006–2011, 201 ...
on the
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
talent show ''
The Voice UK ''The Voice UK'' is a British singing reality competition television series. Created by John de Mol and Roel van Velzen, it premiered on BBC One on 24 March 2012. Based on the original Dutch singing competition '' The Voice of Holland'', and ...
''. On 11 January 2014, she began co-presenting the
third series Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (dis ...
with
JLS JLS (initialism for Jack the Lad Swing) are a British boy band consisting of members Aston Merrygold, Oritsé Williams, Marvin Humes, and JB Gill; Williams formed the band. They initially signed with Tracklacers production company New Tr ...
singer
Marvin Humes Marvin Richard James Humes (born 18 March 1985) is an English singer-songwriter, disc jockey, radio host, television presenter, and former actor. Before rising to prominence as a member of the British boy band JLS, he had an acting role in Hol ...
, who replaced
Reggie Yates Reginald Yates (born 31 May 1983) is a British television presenter, actor, writer and director with a career spanning three decades on screen as an actor, television presenter and radio DJ. Yates played Leo Jones in ''Doctor Who'' and has wo ...
. In March 2014, it was announced that ''The Voice UK'' had been renewed for two future series. Both Willis and Humes returned to the show for the fourth series in 2015 and fifth series in 2016. In 2017, the show moved to ITV. Willis and
Reggie Yates Reginald Yates (born 31 May 1983) is a British television presenter, actor, writer and director with a career spanning three decades on screen as an actor, television presenter and radio DJ. Yates played Leo Jones in ''Doctor Who'' and has wo ...
co-hosted the Saturday night game show '' Prized Apart'' on BBC One. The series began on 13 June 2015 and was axed after the first series, due to poor ratings.


Radio

On 5 August 2012, Willis began co-presenting ''Sunday Morning Breakfast'' with
Stephen Mulhern Stephen Daniel Mulhern (born 4 April 1977) is an English television presenter, entertainer, magician and comedian. He began his career at CITV presenting the children’s television shows '' Finger Tips'' (2001–2004) and '' Tricky TV'' (2005 ...
across the
Heart network Heart is a network of thirteen independent adult contemporary radio stations in the United Kingdom, broadcasting a mix of local and networked programming, although only the stations in Scotland and Wales still have their own shows. Ten of the s ...
.


Other work

In 2015, she became the celebrity ambassador for Gillette Venus and
Oral-B Oral-B is an American brand of oral hygiene products, including toothpastes, toothbrushes, electric toothbrushes, and mouthwashes. The brand has been in business since the invention of the Hutson toothbrush in 1950 and in Redwood City, Cali ...
. On 21 March 2023, Willis partnered with Absolute Collagen for their 'Strong in your own skin' campaign.


Awards and nominations


Personal life

On 5 July 2008, Emma Griffiths married Busted member
Matt Willis Matt Willis (born 8 May 1983) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, television personality and actor. He is known as co-founder, bassist and co-vocalist of the pop-punk band Busted (band), Busted. Willis released his debut solo album ''Do ...
at
Rushton Hall Rushton Hall in Rushton, Northamptonshire, England, was the ancestral home of the Tresham family from 1438, when William Tresham, a veteran of the Battle of Agincourt and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster bought the estate. In the 20th ce ...
,
Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...
, after three years of dating. The wedding was featured in ''OK'' magazine. She gave birth to their first child in 2009. In 2011, the couple had a second child, and in 2016, Willis gave birth to their third child. In an episode of '' Who Do You Think You Are?'', Willis confirmed that she has longstanding roots in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
, with her family tree being traced back to her great-great-great-grandfather, who was named James Gretton and was listed as a Horn and Hair Merchant in the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
records. She also found she had Irish ancestors, a fact that came as a surprise to her. The revelations about her ancestry left her extremely uncomfortable with the actions of one, who she discovered was a violent Orangeman, but overall she was happy to have found a connection to her more broad Irish heritage. Willis is a supporter of
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...
. In 2019, Willis obtained a qualification as a maternity care assistant following her experience on the W series ''Delivering Babies''. During the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
in 2021, Willis and her husband completed training with
St John Ambulance St John Ambulance is an affiliated movement of charitable organisations in mostly Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries which provide first aid education and consumables and emergency medical services. St John organisations are primari ...
to act as vaccination volunteers. In 2023, Willis was featured in the documentary, ''Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction''. The documentary, which aired on the BBC on 17 May 2023, followed Willis and her husband as they spoke about the latter's addiction issues.


Filmography


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Willis, Emma 1976 births Living people People from Sutton Coldfield English television presenters Heart (radio network) presenters Mass media people from Birmingham, West Midlands Comic Relief people