Matt Willis: “ADHD isn’t an excuse for horrible character flaws”
07/10/24 • 63 min
Matt Willis, rose to fame with the multi-platinum band Busted and later went on to star in major West End productions.
In this chat with Ben, Matt reveals a different side of himself, sharing the shock of his ADHD diagnosis following a visit to a marriage counsellor. He discusses coping strategies for ADHD which helped handle addiction, how to overcome shame, and provides a fresh perspective on his time in the jungle.
Matt also spills the tea on what it was like to work with his wife, Emma Willis, on Love Is Blind (UK).
0:00 Introduction
1:07 Matt's ADHD Diagnosis In Adulthood
11:14 ADHD And Socializing
15:17 ADHD In The Prison System
16:10 ADHD and Negative Self Talk
23:38 ADHD And Organization
24:48 Neurodivergent Parenting
38:14 Dealing With Fame As Part Of Busted
42:06 When Busted Split Up
44:00 Matt's Purpose
48:41 Matt's Message To People Who Think They Might Be ADHD
49:38 ADHD And Hyperfocus
56:00 How ADHD Helped Write Busted's Biggest Hits
57:17 ADHD And Drive 58:25 ADHD And Trust
59:19 ADHD In I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here
1:00:29 Matt's Neurodivergent Item
____________________
On "The Hidden 20%," host Ben Branson chats with neurodivergent [ADHD, Autism, Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Tourette's etc.] creatives, entrepreneurs, and experts to see how great minds.. think differently.
Host: Ben Branson
Producer: Bella Neale
Video Editor: James Scriven
Social Media Manager: Charlie Young
Music: Jackson Greenberg
Brought to you by charity The Hidden 20% #1203348
___________
Follow & subscribe...
Website: www.hidden20.org
Instagram / TikTok / Youtube / X: @Hidden20podcast
Ben Branson @seedlip_ben
Matt Willis @mattjwillis
In On The Mend, Matt Willis talks to inspiring people from all walks of life, who have hit rock bottom, and finds out how they made it through to the other side. Exploring his own drug and alcohol addiction, he digs deep into what recovery means, offering tips and tools and expert advice. Listen to the podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/0n5EkuynTmtA3ZckiZ5C7J
If you'd like to support The Hidden 20%, you can buy a "green dot" badge at https://www.hidden20.org/thegreendot/p/badge. All proceeds go to the charity.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Matt Willis, rose to fame with the multi-platinum band Busted and later went on to star in major West End productions.
In this chat with Ben, Matt reveals a different side of himself, sharing the shock of his ADHD diagnosis following a visit to a marriage counsellor. He discusses coping strategies for ADHD which helped handle addiction, how to overcome shame, and provides a fresh perspective on his time in the jungle.
Matt also spills the tea on what it was like to work with his wife, Emma Willis, on Love Is Blind (UK).
0:00 Introduction
1:07 Matt's ADHD Diagnosis In Adulthood
11:14 ADHD And Socializing
15:17 ADHD In The Prison System
16:10 ADHD and Negative Self Talk
23:38 ADHD And Organization
24:48 Neurodivergent Parenting
38:14 Dealing With Fame As Part Of Busted
42:06 When Busted Split Up
44:00 Matt's Purpose
48:41 Matt's Message To People Who Think They Might Be ADHD
49:38 ADHD And Hyperfocus
56:00 How ADHD Helped Write Busted's Biggest Hits
57:17 ADHD And Drive 58:25 ADHD And Trust
59:19 ADHD In I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here
1:00:29 Matt's Neurodivergent Item
____________________
On "The Hidden 20%," host Ben Branson chats with neurodivergent [ADHD, Autism, Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Tourette's etc.] creatives, entrepreneurs, and experts to see how great minds.. think differently.
Host: Ben Branson
Producer: Bella Neale
Video Editor: James Scriven
Social Media Manager: Charlie Young
Music: Jackson Greenberg
Brought to you by charity The Hidden 20% #1203348
___________
Follow & subscribe...
Website: www.hidden20.org
Instagram / TikTok / Youtube / X: @Hidden20podcast
Ben Branson @seedlip_ben
Matt Willis @mattjwillis
In On The Mend, Matt Willis talks to inspiring people from all walks of life, who have hit rock bottom, and finds out how they made it through to the other side. Exploring his own drug and alcohol addiction, he digs deep into what recovery means, offering tips and tools and expert advice. Listen to the podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/0n5EkuynTmtA3ZckiZ5C7J
If you'd like to support The Hidden 20%, you can buy a "green dot" badge at https://www.hidden20.org/thegreendot/p/badge. All proceeds go to the charity.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode
ADHD Diagnosis In Adulthood Explained Everything For Adam Reed
CW: mental health, suicide & addiction.
With more than 20 years of expertise in hairstyling, salon ownership, and creating his own haircare products, Adam Reed stands as a legendary figure in the hairstyling industry.
In this chat with Ben, Adam openly discusses navigating anxiety and paranoia alongside ADHD and explores his healing journey, from prescription medications to micro-dosing psilocybin. Adam also reflects on a difficult childhood and why community plays a pivotal role in his life.
0:00 Introduction
1:56 Adam's Journey Of Mental Health & Acceptance
7:11 Identity & School
17:21 Looking Back After ADHD Diagnosis In Adulthood
19:02 Looking After Your ADHD Brain & ADHD Hyper Focus
27:13 Adam's New Brand 'Arkive' & The Power Of Scent
33:33 ADHD & Intimacy
36:09 ADHD Entrepreneurship
39:55 Not Choosing The Easy Route, Connection & Insomnia
45:02 Adam's Neurodivergent Item
_________________
On "The Hidden 20%," host Ben Branson chats with neurodivergent [ADHD, Autism, Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Tourette's etc.] creatives, entrepreneurs, and experts to see how great minds.. think differently.
Host: Ben Branson
Producer: Bella Neale
Video Editor: James Scriven
Social Media Manager: Charlie Young
Music: Jackson Greenberg
Brought to you by charity The Hidden 20% #1203348
___________
Follow & subscribe...
Website: www.hidden20.org
Instagram / TikTok / Youtube / X: @Hidden20podcast
Ben Branson @seedlip_ben
Adam Reed @adamreedhair
If you'd like to support The Hidden 20%, you can buy a "green dot" badge at https://www.hidden20.org/thegreendot/p/badge. All proceeds go to the charity.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode
![undefined - ADHD And Bipolar Disorder: Heston Blumenthal Opens Up [EXCLUSIVE]](https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/episode_images/8a64ba90ac2147802d1ad615408b8b23a8920ba634036cb8fac093f89cb714b2.avif)
ADHD And Bipolar Disorder: Heston Blumenthal Opens Up [EXCLUSIVE]
CW: Suicide, Mental Health
In this podcast exclusive, culinary icon Heston Blumenthal reveals his recent diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
The mastermind behind the three Michelin-starred The Fat Duck is renowned for his innovative, playful, and multi-sensory culinary experiences. So it may not come as a surprise that he's also ADHD.
In this episode, Ben takes a deep dive "Inside Heston’s World," unveiling a different side of the renowned chef. Heston candidly discusses the highs and lows of bipolar disorder, his hospitalisation, and how his manic episodes have fuelled his imagination. He also explores the impact of ADHD on his culinary experiments and occasional kitchen mishaps.
1:36 The Different Types Of Bipolar
3:31 Heston's Bipolar Diagnosis
13:21 Heston's ADHD
13:53 ADHD and Cooking
17:29 ADHD and Sensory Issues
19:13 ADHD and Mindfulness
22:20 ADHD and Bipolar Disorder Combined
24:13 Heston Blumenthal's Third Michelin Star
28:40 Yes or No Round
31:06 Heston's Neurodivergent item
____________________
On "The Hidden 20%," host Ben Branson chats with neurodivergent [ADHD, Autism, Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Tourette's etc.] creatives, entrepreneurs, and experts to see how great minds.. think differently.
Host: Ben Branson
Producer: Bella Neale
Video Editor: James Scriven
Social Media Manager: Charlie Young
Music: Jackson Greenberg
Brought to you by charity The Hidden 20% #1203348
___________
Follow & subscribe...
Website: www.hidden20.org
Instagram / TikTok / Youtube / X: @Hidden20podcast
Ben Branson @seedlip_ben
Heston Blumenthal @hestonblumenthalteam @dinnerbyhb
If you'd like to support The Hidden 20%, you can buy a "green dot" badge at https://www.hidden20.org/thegreendot/p/badge. All proceeds go to the charity.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/the-hidden-20-339369/matt-willis-adhd-isnt-an-excuse-for-horrible-character-flaws-60329683"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to matt willis: “adhd isn’t an excuse for horrible character flaws” on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy