BABIES, Botox and brushes with the law are some of the latest plot twists to come out of the relationships spawned on Married At First Sight UK.
While the hit reality TV show has a mere success rate of just seven per cent for pairing soulmates, some romances have stood the test of time.
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Thomas and Adrian, who appeared on MAFS last year, didn’t work out romanticallyCredit: Simon Johns / CPL Productions
With the eighth series of MAFS set to kick off on September 18, we reveal what became of some of the show’s most memorable couples – from savage cheating scandals to unrecognisable transformations.
Thomas and Adrian
Everyone can remember Thomas Hartley’s cheeky smile and immaculately faded haircut – but these days the Liverpudlian looks almost unrecognisable.
The 32-year-old reality star now sports a shaved noggin after deciding to ditch his dark locks in a rebrand.
Thomas has also openly admitted to undergoing a string of cosmetic procedures including a hair transplant, filler, having his ears pinned and two sets of veneers in his quest for beauty perfection.
He was very open about his work on the show but admitted getting Botox injected into his creaseless face was a “stupid” thing to do.
He told Closer Magazine: “I don’t want to end up looking like Michael Jackson. But you can’t have bad brows in Liverpool… They’re like the nipples of the face.”
While things didn’t work out romantically for him and Adrian Sanderson, the pair remain close buddies.
On their wedding anniversary, Adrian wrote on Instagram: “Hopefully one day me and Tom will be able to attend each others weddings and watch each other find what we want and I know how happy we will be for each other.”
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The pals pictured in May this yearCredit: Instagram
George and April
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April and George had an up and down relationship – and ultimately they couldn’t make it workCredit: Channel 4
Financial advisor George thought he’d found the one when ex Ms Great Britain April Banbury held his hand through the vow renewals last series.
However, the promising couple announced their split in August last year, following a Spanish holiday.
Fans were left shocked when it later emerged that the reality TV hunk had been arrested for alleged controlling and coercive behaviour – he has continued to deny wrongdoing.
The Sun revealed cops were investigating George after three of his ex-girlfriends raised concerns when they saw him on the show.
The three women made independent complaints about his alleged “obsessive”, “manipulative” and “abusive” behaviour.
Shortly after George’s arrest, April told fans she was seeing a therapist to deal with “trauma” from the show.
She added the “show ruined her life”, claiming: “No one should apply to take part until they put in place more stringent background checks.”
April said: “When the show told me about The Sun story, they told me I needed to be there to support George. I felt like they silenced me when I wanted to speak.”
Channel 4 insisted it was “untrue to suggest April was asked to take a position against her wishes, nor would we seek to silence her.”
Jenna and Zoe
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Credit: Eroteme
When a proud meat-eater got hitched to a vegan, most thought it was a recipe for disaster.
But lovers Jenna and Zoe proved the critics wrong and have become last season’s biggest success story.
The series’ first ever lesbian couple did experience some bumps in the road early on, but according to social media, they are still going strong.
Just last month they were pictured clinking glasses during a “stay at home” date night.
Zoe recently shared a heartfelt anniversary post, writing: “Just like the Queen had two birthdays… we have 2 anniversaries.
“First on April 7 and the other is the day our wedding aired and you all saw the beginning of our journey.
“I guess we’ll have a third when we get married for real which I’ve just realised is going to cost me a fortune.”
Ben and Stephanie
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Ben and Steph initially seemed to be off to a great startCredit: Channel 4
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Their marriage ended after he got another woman pregnantCredit: Channel 4
As tumultuous break-ups go, it doesn’t get much worse than this.
Ben and Stephanie were a solid fan favourite during the early stages of season three as they seemed to really hit it off.
It all came crashing down, however, when Ben revealed he’d got another woman pregnant before his stint on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018.
It was reported heartbroken Stephanie heard about their divorce in the news, despite him claiming they’d had a conversation before he announced it.
At the time, she said: “He was divorcing me. He had cheated on me. He was announcing it on the radio. There are very few moments in your life that truly rock you to your core.”
To make matters worse, Ben admitted he’d cheated on Stephanie before they went on their honeymoon.
Ben is now pursuing a career as an actor and professional boxer, while Stephanie is living her best life showing fans pictures of her holidays on Instagram.
She also shaved her head in 2019 to raise money to help her friend who was battling cancer.
Michelle and Owen
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They are still happily married and run a joint Instagram accountCredit: 3
It was love at first sight for these two lovebirds, who tied the knot in season five in 2020.
They remain happily married now, and have even bought a house together.
The loved up pair even share an Instagram account where they post snaps of their life as a married couple.
After the show Michelle moved from Hastings to Sheffield to be with her man.
On their one year anniversary, Owen gave Michelle a diary he’d been keeping since they met on the experiment, inscribed with the words, ‘I chose you’, before getting down on one knee.
The fan-favourite couple are also reportedly set to become parents this winter.
Tayah and Adam
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The couple are now proud parents to a baby girlCredit: Instagram
A huge success story from 2021, it couldn’t have gone better for this couple, who now live together in Doncaster.
Tayah and Adam were the first ones to declare their love for each other while on honeymoon.
After a whirlwind romance Adam proposed at the end of the show, when they decided to stay married.
In October 2022, the smitten couple announced the arrival of their baby daughter Beau Emily.
In July Tayah shared a snap having been wedding dress shopping, and revealed she’d said yes to the dress.
Steph and Jonathan
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Steph and Jonathan’s marriage ended after he served her annulment papers in a Christmas cardCredit: Indigo Wild Studio/Channel 4
Jonathan cemented himself as the king of savage break-ups when, after a few weeks together, he handed his new bride annulment papers stuffed inside a Christmas card.
The couple tied the knot in December 2018, but had a disastrous honeymoon in Spain.
However he clearly saw the errors of his ways and pleaded with her for another chance, though Steph refused.
In January 2021, The Sun revealed Jonathan was reportedly blocking the divorce and ‘refusing to let go’.
A source claimed it was a “nightmare” for Steph who just wants to move on, but they were still legally married. It’s not known if they did finally divorce.
Melissa and Clark
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Clark and Melissa on their wedding dayCredit: Channel 4
The season two couple had viewers in their corner in June 2016 as they seemed to be such a great match.
When Melissa started a new job in Milton Keynes, Clark found a flat in the area just be be close to her.
However they couldn’t make it work and the couple divorced in November 2017 – having not seen each other for a year.
He moved back to London and later slammed the show, claiming its participants were “goaded” into having arguments by producers.
Kate and Jason
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Kate and Jason’s marriage came crashing down after he was spotted on TinderCredit: Handout
Their honeymoon in Ireland was short-lived after Jason Knowles cut it short in order to go back to work in London.
Three weeks after that, he was caught using Tinder, which was the last straw for Kate.
He later insisted he only joined the dating app after he realised their marriage was doomed – and scathingly revealed he never fancied her.
Having never consummated their marriage, it was annulled eight months later.
Shereen and David
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Shereen and David didn’t work out
For Shereen, one look at her new husband’s tattoos on their honeymoon was enough to put her off – but the final nail in the coffin was him unpacking his stash of 30 condoms, burning scents and massage oil.
Deciding she’d seen enough, the pair went their separate ways and didn’t bother to remain friends.
David, however, did jump to Shereen’s defence when she admitted internet trolls attacked her accusing her of only joining the show to find fame.
He said: “Shereen has many wonderful characteristics and is a kind, positive person, an amazing mother with a good soul. She was simply hoping for a more spiritual not a logic thinker I guess [sic].”
Emma and James
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Emma and James had no chemistry in the bedroomCredit: Handout
Sexual incompatibility resulted in the breakdown of Emma and James’ union after 34 weeks.
They were the last remaining couple of the first series to call time on their marriage.
In an interview, Emma said said the show had “ruined her life” as a lot of men refused to meet her after finding out she was on it.
“I had no idea about the long-term effects. When you are taking part, you are not thinking about 10 years down the line,” she said.
Matt and Dan
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Matt and Dan plan on getting married again in the future
Their inclusion on the sixth series was praised by the LGBTQ community, and made way for the first lesbian couple set to appear in the new series.
Matt and Dan instantly made a connection and declared their love on the show.
Their relationship appeared to go from strength to strength, with Matt making the move from Leeds to Northern Ireland.
But sadly they called it a day after two years in December, claiming they’d agreed they were “better off as friends” – but Matt told The Sun there were “so many factors” that pushed them to the brink.
One of the most contentious issues was children, which proved a dealbreaker in the end.
Morag and Luke
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Luke and Morag had an explosive time on the showCredit: Instagram
Viewers always suspected Morag didn’t care as much for Luke as he did for her.
She bluntly admitted she didn’t find him attractive and had a huge dislike of his fashion sense.
After the show ended, Luke revealed Morag had ghosted him, leaving him gutted.
Luke now has a Cameo account where fans can pay for customised videos from him, while Morag works with a sexual wellness brand called Vush.
Megan and Bob
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BMegan cheated on Bob with his friendCredit: E4
Cheating on your new husband with his mate is probably not the best way to kickstart a marriage.
But that’s what happened in 2021 when Bob discovered Megan had kissed Jordan, who was married to Alexis.
Although Bob tried to make it work, it all proved a bit too much for him and the pair called it quits.
But Bob was able to find love with someone else after the show.
Meanwhile Megan has gone back to acting, while Bob has taken up modelling.
Ally and Paul
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Ally Acklan and Paul Todd were in an unaired episode of the showCredit: Instagram/unseen_couple
Although these two were paired for the show, they never actually met at the aisle due to the outbreak of Covid.
Desperate to meet the woman producers had matched him with, Paul begged producers to put him in touch with Ally – and good job too.
The pair hit it off immediately and Ally moved from Worth in West Sussex to Weston-Super-Mare to be with Paul.
They welcomed a baby daughter in July 2021 – a month after getting engaged – and chronicle their life together on Instagram and YouTube.
In interview, Ally said: “Paul and I were made for each other. From the moment we started chatting to each other it was obvious we were a perfect match.”
They are still in touch with show expert Paul Carrick Brunson, who met their baby girl last year, and are getting married in Brighton next year.
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