Matt Willis and wife Emma 'using burner phone' as he addresses 'needed break'

Matt Willis has shared that he and his wife Emma Willis are planning a hiatus from social media, with the help of an old school phone. The Busted star expressed the need for a break from his smartphone after realising the excessive amount of time he was spending on pointless videos, while touring with his band.

Matt, 41, explained that to truly commit to the break, he and Emma, 48, will use "a burner phone" which only allows them to make calls and send texts. "Me and Emma are going to be doing it, we're actually going to have a burner phone," he revealed on his On The Mend podcast.

"We're going to have a separate phone for a little while, for a number of days and we're going to have a phone with texts and calls on it. We're going to track it and see how it makes us feel."

Matt, who has three children with Emma, further shared that his previous experience of taking a break from social media felt "really strange". "I had phantom buzzes. Do you ever get that? You know when your pocket buzzes and you check it and there's nothing there," he added.

"The urge to scroll was huge. Boredom is a really important thing and I am [at] my most creative when I'm bored," reports the Mirror.

Last month, Matt and Emma announced via Instagram that they, along with year eight students, will be ditching their smartphones as part of a Channel 4 experiment. The singer confessed he was "terrified" about the process, while his wife expressed her excitement.

They said in a statement: "Our lives these days revolve around our phones, and the thought of three weeks without them is quite honestly daunting, yet fascinating."

"The statistics on children's smartphone use are beyond worrying so the time feels absolutely right for this issue to be addressed. We're eager to see the results and hope this sparks lasting, positive change! ".

The couple's experiment has garnered support from many, including Amanda Holden, who advocates for a ban on smartphones in schools.

Johannes Radebe from Strictly Come Dancing chimed in: "We'll have to debrief after... enjoy it."

Fans also expressed their admiration, with one writing: "I love everything about this," while another commented: "Good luck, tbh wish we didn't have them but unfortunately it is part of life now."