Matt Willis opened up on his relationship with Busted bandmate James Bourne after health issues forced him to drop out of the band’s latest tour.
Last month, James quit the Busted Vs McFly tour across the UK and Ireland just over 24 hours before it was due to kick off due to mysterious health issues.
Posting a statement on Instagram, he shared: ‘The VS tour kicks off tomorrow night in Birmingham and as excited as l’ve been all year for this tour to begin.
‘I’m really sorry to say that over the last 8 days it has become clear that I am not in good enough health to play these shows 🙁’
On the latest episode of the On The Mend podcast, Matt spoke about his incredibly close bond with James and fellow bandmate Charlie Simpson, while issuing a touching message to James.
‘I’ve been in a long-term relationship, you know, I was 16 with these boys,’ he began, speaking about the formation of the group in 2000.
‘I do love them. In some weird, f****d up way, we love each other.’
He said that he had been ‘an absolute nightmare’ to them in the past, saying that he has ‘gone missing, missed things, and let them down multiple times.’
‘They have stuck by me, and you know, they’ve done the same to me sometimes, and I’ve stuck by them,’ he continued. ‘That’s long-term relationships.’
He went on to say what he loved individually about James and Charlie, saying that James had had ‘more of an impact on him than anybody he’s ever met.’
‘I’ve got quite a few things about James,’ he said. ‘When I think about people in my life, apart from Emma [Willis], James Bourne has had more of an impact on me than anybody I’ve ever met.
‘More than my family. I met that kid when we were 15 years old. I have been through everything with him, and I don’t think I’ve ever told him anything nice. We haven’t got that relationship.’
Matt said that sometimes James said things to him that, if he didn’t know and love him, it would be ‘the rudest thing anyone has ever said to him.’
‘But I do know you, and I know what you’re saying, I respect it, and I love it.’
He described James as ‘the most individual person he’s ever met’ and he ‘will not change for anyone.’
In the caption of the Instagram post, he penned a message to James, saying: ‘Get well soon @jamesfutureboybourne ❤️🩹.’
During the Busted vs McFly show in Birmingham, Charlie told the crowd that James was ‘really sick’ and we ‘love him so much and we miss him’.
Choking back tears, Matt continued: ‘We love him, we talked to him and we said, mate, do we pull out of this? What do we do? He said no – I want you to keep playing the shows.’
Following the news, Charlie has cancelled a series of solo shows, sparking concern among fans.
According to the Sun, fans who attempt to buy tickets to see the band are greeted with the following response: ‘Thank you so much for buying tickets to Charlie Simpson’s DJ set at Gorilla Manchester.
‘Unfortunately due to the ongoing health issues of James and the strain that it is putting on Charlie and the rest of the band, he has had to make the difficult decision to cancel all upcoming DJ sets.’
It went on: ‘All tickets will be refunded, please expect a refund in 3-5 working days.
‘We are so sorry for any inconvenience caused. Many thanks.’
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