REVEALED: Racy past of ‘squeaky-clean’ Emma Willis: KATIE HIND witnessed Strictly star’s meeting with THIS pop legend – and now reveals BBC’s ‘surprise’ at ANOTHER of her trysts…

She has long cultivated her cool, elfin girl-next-door image and has spent the last two decades honing her craft to become one of television’s most beloved hosts.

Emma Willis is so healthy that she trained as a midwifery assistant on Channel 4’s Delivering Babies in 2019, which saw her help out in the maternity ward.

His warmth and practicality were also clearly visible behind the cameras. For years, she has been a ‘rock’ for her husband, former Busted singer Matt Willis, who has overcome a public battle with addiction. In short, those who know her describe her as ‘Little Miss Perfect’.

With the reputation of the BBC’s Saturday night flagship Strictly Come Dancing under threat following a series of bullying and drug use scandals, it’s no wonder bosses are turning to Emma as a safe couple.

After months of speculation about who would replace outgoing hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, it was confirmed last Tuesday that Emma is one of three new hosts to take the helm this autumn.

Comedian and former journalist Josh Widdicombe and Strictly’s much-loved professional dancer Johannes Radebe will join her in a twist that producers hope will refocus attention on the celebrity cast, the sequins, the glitter balls and, importantly, the dancing itself.

Emma has been confirmed as one of three new presenters to take the helm of Strictly Come Dancing this autumn, alongside much-loved Strictly professional dancer Johannes Radebe.

Sources tell me that one of Emma’s ‘big plus points’ is her literally pristine image and ability to avoid any drama.

But Emma, ​​who turns 50 in March, may not always be as healthy as she seems. In fact, he has a wild past, as I can reveal.

Before she married Matt, she had quite a reputation as a late-night party girl while she was working her way up in the television industry as a single girl living on the town.

By the mid-2000s, Emma, ​​a uber-cool host on MTV, was mingling with some of the world’s biggest music stars; Many of them, I was told, were quite impressed with him.

One of them was Robbie Williams, who was then at the height of his fame and had yet to embrace sobriety. The two met at the MTV awards ceremony in Lisbon in 2005, over drinks at the city’s Four Seasons hotel. I know because I was there and watched them flirt excessively. The next day I was told they enjoyed a romantic date.

There is another ghost in Emma’s past; This ghost could set tongues wagging again as she takes on the high-profile role on Strictly.

Again, it happened while I was single. But the passionate encounter is sure to raise eyebrows among millions of Strictly fans if it becomes public knowledge.

Those who knew Emma at the time admitted she enjoyed a ‘moment’ with a well-known man who worked in the music industry.

The unexpected meeting is said to have ‘absolutely stunned’ those in both circles. ‘It was a big surprise that Emma was with this man,’ says my source. ‘You couldn’t get them together not in a million years, he’s not her type at all.

‘Emma was quite embarrassed when she heard the news. It’s never been reported in the press, but people tend to come forward when a celebrity is promoted to a prime-time job position.

‘Of course Emma hasn’t done anything wrong but it would be so embarrassing for her.’ In fact, when I told Strictly bosses about Emma’s behavior in her younger days they had no idea.

One source joked: ‘God, who would have thought of that’, while a BBC insider also expressed surprise. ‘The Beeb’s higher-ups fear that any story about the private lives of any of the three new hosts will lead to a narrative they don’t want, of course,’ says one insider. ‘They want viewers to talk about their new presenters’ dancing rather than their sex lives.

Friends say she and Johannes’ Strictly gig, which also featured comedian Josh Widdicombe, was “something she wouldn’t turn down in a million years”

Emma was quite famous as a party girl before she married Matt Willis, with whom she now has three children.

One of the biggest things for Emma during the casting process for ‘Strictly’ was her wholesome image. Finding someone who didn’t have a history of violent behavior was a really big part of the hiring process.

‘This is a new dawn for the show, we’re looking forward not back; It’s about dancing.’

Any deviation from Strictly’s family-friendly atmosphere is the last thing the BBC needs.

In 2023, bosses were furious after actress Amanda Abbington claimed her professional partner Giovanni Pernice bullied her during rehearsals. An investigation cleared him of the most serious allegations.

Another professional dancer, Graziano Di Prima, was fired for kicking his partner, reality star Zara McDermott.

Opera singer Wynne Evans was then caught making a sick sex joke about his co-star, dancer Janette Manrara, at the launch of the Strictly live tour in February last year. He later made disgusting claims that his Strictly colleague had taken cocaine, although an investigation by the BBC found no evidence this had happened.

Emma’s big break came in 2014, when she replaced Holly Willoughby as host of ITV singing competition The Voice; this role still continues today.

This too is a matter of debate within the BBC, as there is likely to be a brief transition period while Emma hosts the singing show, and certainly also because The Voice is pre-recorded.

Emma, ​​who has three children with Matt, turned down a lucrative offer to host This Morning following Miss Willoughby’s departure because she wanted to be able to take her brood to school every morning.

But friends say it’s definitely “something he couldn’t turn down not in a million years.”

However, the hiring of 43-year-old Widdicombe caused major backlash; Strictly fans were shocked that the role was handed over to TV star and audience favorite Rylan Clark.

Widdicombe, known for appearing in Channel 4 comedy show The Last Leg and podcast Parenting Hell alongside comedian Rob Beckett, lacks live television experience but has won over some Strictly fans after appearing as a penguin in the 2024 Christmas special.

But he is as healthy as they come and has a nine-year-old daughter and a five-year-old son with his wife, television producer Rose Hanson.

‘It all seems a bit underwhelming,’ says a source connected to the programme. ‘But Strictly bosses should see something [in Emma] We haven’t witnessed it yet. They’re just playing it a bit safe.’

Of course, both Emma and the BBC hope it stays that way.