Busted 2023: Where are James Bourne, Matt Willis and Charlie Simpson now?
Busted have announced that they will reunite for a 20th anniversary tour and album, 18 years after deciding to split.
The trio, made up of Charlie Simpson, 37, James Bourne, 39 and matt willisThe 39-year-old was one of the biggest boy bands in the UK in the early 2000s, releasing four UK number one singles and garnering two Brit Awards.
While many fans are thrilled to see the group back together, some will also be eager to find out what the group has been up to since they originally broke up in 2005.
For all three members it has been a difficult road, plagued by mental health problems and drug addiction, with moments of success on television and in the West End.
So where are Busted now? MailOnline takes a look back at their careers ahead of this reunion tour in September.
Blast from the past! When Busted announced they were reuniting (left), 20 years after releasing their first album (right)… MailOnline takes a look at where they are now
legends! The trio, consisting of Charlie Simpson, James Bourne and Matt Willis, were one of the biggest boy bands in the UK in the early 2000s.
charlie simpson
Charlie was the main member that marked the end of Busted in 2005, when he decided he wanted to leave and focus on his rock band Fightstar.
He admitted to The Sun that he was “unhappy” during his last few months in the band and “broke down” before quitting.
“He was going to leave long before I did, but he had a lot of commitments and didn’t want to let anyone down,” Charlie said.
Since then Charlie has continued to perform with Fightstar, also releasing four solo albums and starting his own record label.
In 2015 he also announced that he would reunite with Matt and James for a new Busted tour, with the band going on another hiatus in 2019 after three tours and solo albums.
He also began to focus more on fatherhood, having married Anna Barnard in 2014 and they share children Arlo, seven, and Jago, five.
Charlie and his family suffered a terrifying scare in 2022, when their youngest son was rushed to hospital after “secondary drowning” while on vacation abroad.
Secondary or dry drowning occurs when the child inhales water while swimming, causing spasms and contractions of the vocal cords.
Performing roots: Charlie was the lead member who ushered in the end of Busted in 2005, when he decided he wanted to leave and focus on his rock band Fightstar.
Vintage: After leaving the band in 2005, Charlie focused on his own rock group Fightstar, before returning to Busted in 2016 for their first reunion.
Look who it is! In February 2023, Charlie made a surprise return to television when he became known as the winner of The Masked Singer, after starring as Rhino throughout the series.
Charlie said: ‘He seemed to be going in and out of consciousness. He was rushed in for CT scans and X-rays and, to our utter horror, told that he had water in his lungs and that he was within minutes of pneumonia.
‘Jago was diagnosed with secondary drowning. He spent the next three days in the hospital and I am so grateful for the amazing care he received. It was the worst we have ever experienced.
In February 2023, Charlie made a surprise return to television when he became known as the winner of The Masked Singer, after starring as Rhino for the entire series.
“I was terrified the whole time. What scared me the most was remembering the lyrics. I often forget the words to my own songs on stage!’ he exclaimed.
Charlie’s appearance started fan speculation that a Busted reunion could be on the cards, with the band confirming this on March 23.
matt willis
During his time on Busted, Matt struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, and sought help in 2004, three months after he began dating his now-wife Emma.
While he won I’m a celebrity Get me out of here! in 2006, he continued to fight his demons, but Emma vowed to support him.
Since 2008, Matt has been sober, and he and Emma are the parents of three children, and he has admitted that becoming a father ultimately pushed him to give up alcohol.
Speaking to Giovanna Fletcher on her Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast, he said: “When Isabelle was born, I stayed clean for a while and then relapsed again when she was about six months old.”
Hard time: During his time on Busted, Matt (pictured in 2003) struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, and sought help in 2004, three months after he began dating his now-wife, Emma.
‘In a way, I missed Emma’s birthday. She was in Birmingham and I was doing a TV show at the time.
‘It was the farewell party and I had a glass of champagne and went to the races that night; I showed up at her parents’ house at four in the morning as if nothing was out of my head.
Matt has also previously revealed that he became “fully invested” in the Church of Scientology, even making daily visits to its London headquarters.
But he admitted that he distanced himself when he realized the group was trying to separate him from his wife Emma.
Since leaving Busted, Matt has also gone on to a successful West End career, making his debut in Flashdance: The Musical in 2010.
He has appeared in shows ranging from Footloose, Wicked, Little Shop of Horrors, and in 2021, he joined Waitress’ UK tour playing Dr. Pomatter.
Last year he became the latest star to join the cast of the spooky play 2:22 A Ghost Story, starring opposite former Love Island host Laura Whitmore.
Family: Since 2008, Matt has been sober, and he and Emma are the parents of three children, and he admitted that becoming a father ultimately pushed him to give up alcohol.
james bournes
As the band’s primary songwriter, James is the mastermind behind some of Busted’s most iconic tracks.
After their original split, he continued to write music, but for other artists, including Mel B, The Saturdays, The Vamps, and 5 Seconds Of Summer.
He also formed another rock band, called Son Of Dork, and their first single, Ticket Outta Loserville, reached number three on the charts in November 2005, and their second single, Eddie’s Song, reached number 10.
The group eventually broke up when they decided to focus on other projects, and James turned his debut album into Loserville: The Musical, which opened in the West End in October 2012.
The show closed after only three months, but in early 2020 it briefly transferred to the US East Coast.
Since 2018, he has also been in a relationship with YouTuber Emily Canham.
The Mastermind Behind the Music: As the band’s primary songwriter, James (pictured in 2003) is the mastermind behind some of Busted’s most iconic songs.
Lindo: Since 2018, he has also been in a relationship with YouTuber Emily Canham.
In March 2023, Busted announced that they would reunite for a new tour and new album, with James saying Sun: ‘It’s out of this world that we managed to do this and we couldn’t be more excited about it. It’s going to be evil.
Matt added: ‘Now it feels like he’s meant to feel. It’s like the beginning all over again. Right now it feels like it’s just begun.
Busted had hinted at a possible return date to mark their 20th anniversary.
Posting a cryptic video on the band’s account. instagram page, the trio captioned the post: ’03/23/23 #Busted20′.
The short clip shows a broken cassette being put into an old television. The screen then blurs and shows the band’s logo.
The Busted account also changed its Twitter banner to a background of static noise, overlaid by an outline of the band and the cryptic date.
There were a lot of rumors surrounding the band’s reunion, particularly after band member Charlie hinted that it might be on the cards this year.
The rocker admitted that while he has been “sworn to secrecy” about the project, “there may be some plans” afoot.
The pop punk trio first broke up in 2005, before reforming for a UK and Ireland arena tour in 2016, and another the following year.