Power couple and presenters Matt and Emma Willis took to Instagram with a serious commitment earlier this week (September 10) – and a temporary farewell to their fans and followers.
The duo shared what they’ve billed as their “final post” for the next 21 days, but it’s all in the name of a fascinating social experiment.
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Matt and Emma Willis in ‘daunting’ experiment
Posing with thoughtful expressions, the pair were pictured sitting on a classroom desk, each holding a mobile phone.
In their caption, the couple revealed the purpose behind the image.
“This is our final post for 21 days as we join an exciting experiment looking at the impact of smartphones on children’s behaviour,” they wrote.
“For these three weeks, team Willis will be keeping you updated on everything whilst we team up with a group of Year 8 students and give up our smartphones.”
This hiatus is part of their involvement in the upcoming Channel 4 documentary titled Swiped: The School that Banned Smartphones.
The documentary aims to address the negative impact of smartphone usage among children.
Expressing both excitement and apprehension, Matt and Emma – who hosts The Voice UK – shared: “Our lives these days revolve around our phones, and the thought of three weeks without them is quite honestly daunting, yet fascinating.”
Their choice to participate in this experiment comes from genuine concern and curiosity. “The statistics on children’s smartphone use are beyond worrying so the time feels absolutely right for this issue to be addressed,” they continued.
The Love Is Blind UK presenters concluded their announcement with a hopeful outlook: “We’re eager to see the results and hope this sparks lasting, positive change!”
Fans react
Meanwhile, followers and fans of the famous couple took to the comments to share their opinions.
“Very excited to see the results of this. Our community of 120,000 parents will be tuning in with interest!” one wrote.
Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden also agreed: “I wish it was a wider campaign! All schools should ban these.”
Another commented: “I think this experiment and research is so long overdue, and I am so interested in the results. Thank you for highlighting.”
“Brilliant,” presenter Claudia Winkelman praised. Fellow presenter Davina McCall also agreed, writing: “So excited for this.”
“Great idea! Intrigued to see how this goes,” another fan gushed.
However, some followers also questioned the potential bias of the experiment.
“Interested to know if you’ll also be covering the positive of smart phones for this age group?” they mused.
“Social connection, emotion regulation for those with neurodivergence, educational help etc? This issue is always made black and white, when in reality it’s a highly nuanced shade of grey.”
Catch Emma on The Voice UK Saturday (September 14) at 8.30pm. It’s repeated Sunday at 11.30am.
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