![Matt Willis’ bizarre anniversary gift causes backlash as he hits out at brutal response](https://images.ladbible.com/resize?type=webp&quality=70&width=3840&fit=contain&gravity=auto&url=https://images.ladbiblegroup.com/v3/assets/blt8bbf16c2d7a209e5/blt8f651178bbf55410/66b633cbccd01c43e48eba0f/Matt-emma-willis-tattoo-wedding-anniversary.png)
Matt Willis is fighting back at the naysayers who have critiqued the way he celebrated his anniversary with his wife, Emma Willis.
Love Is Blind UK hosts Matt, 41 and Emma, 48, have been married since 2008 and share three children together.
Last month marked the 16th anniversary for the pair, and Matt chose to commemorate it in a very personal way.
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He got a tattoo of his wife on his leg, which shows her wearing a dress and pouting.
He showed off the tattoo on Instagram in July, alongside the caption: "Happy Anniversary @emmawillisofficial … I love you more than ever. 16 years and it keeps getting better. Thanks @tomftattoo for your amazing work and fitting me in just in time for today."
The reactions were mixed, to say the least.
One person wrote: "Happy anniversary but not sure that's a great likeness to Emma."
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Another said: "Lovely idea but doesn't look anything like her?"
While a third added: "How is anyone saying this doesn't look like her lol? Looks just like her! Happy Anniversary!"
Matt then addressed it in more detail during an episode of his podcast, On The Mend.
He said: "Yes, [the tattoo] did hurt. If anyone doesn't know, I got a new tattoo for my wedding anniversary. We've been married for 16 years and I thought I'd get my wife a present by getting her tattooed on my leg."
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![The pair have been married since 2008. (David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)](https://images.ladbible.com/resize?type=webp&quality=70&width=3840&fit=contain&gravity=auto&url=https://images.ladbiblegroup.com/v3/assets/blt8bbf16c2d7a209e5/blt9625d3ed9e61270d/66b630bf7e6a14291677232f/GettyImages-1014705734.jpg)
According to Matt, the reaction from Emma wasn't quite what he'd hoped it would be.
He added: "It was a lovely thought. They say when you have plans, God laughs, right? Whatever that means! But I had all these grand plans, and a big gesture of love, and I thought she was going to love it.
"It wasn't that response, shall we say. She wasn't overjoyed, she was just like 'oh, so you got a tattoo of me, on you, for my anniversary present', and I was like, 'yeah'. It wasn't quite the desired response. But I love it, I love it, I think it's cute."
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![Emma wasn't overjoyed with the tattoo. (Instagram/@mattjwillis)](https://images.ladbible.com/resize?type=webp&quality=70&width=3840&fit=contain&gravity=auto&url=https://images.ladbiblegroup.com/v3/assets/blt8bbf16c2d7a209e5/blt8c9278878f2a830c/66b630416e2f581d84c75e63/Screenshot_2024-08-09_at_16.04.39.png)
He also confronted the negative comments on Instagram.
Matt said: "I'm in the habit of checking comments now. I obviously put a picture of my tattoo on when I first had it done, it was raw and black and I put it up on Instagram and I've never had so many negative comments about anything I've put up in my life.
"It was a real test. It was like 'oh, how do I feel about these negative comments?' but I kept going back to what I say - what people say about me is none of my business."
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You tell them, Matt.
Topics: Celebrity, Emma Willis, Sex and Relationships, Tattoos, Instagram, TV And Film