WE’VE all been gripped since the final vows took place last week – and now the MAFS UK cast have revealed behind-the-scene secrets of the hit E4 show.
Married at First Sight has left viewers gripped with its endless drama – after all, who can forget Julia-Ruth’s bombshell revelation that she enjoyed a secret ‘wife swap’ holiday with Maeve’s groom, Joe?
But while we’ve seen the scenes unfold on our screens, it turns out there’s still plenty left that we don’t know about – including one bride who shared the very clever way she managed to contact the “outside world.”
In a clip shared to the E4 TikTok page, the cast were all interviewed in their couples and asked a series of questions, starting with whether they’re allowed their phones during their duration on the show.
Leah, who was matched with bride Leigh, says: “We get given a cast phone and it’s got absolutely nothing on it apart from each other’s numbers, and you’re allowed a couple of apps.”
Leisha’s husband Reiss then goes on to confirm what Leah was saying by pointing out that even social media is banned and they don’t have internet browser site ‘Safari’ on there either.
However, Leigh notes that they are allowed shopping apps so they can order clothes in, with Abigail, who seems to still be blissfully happy with husband John since saying ‘yes’ at final vows, adding: “I’ve got Amazon, PrettyLittleThing and ASOS – all the kind of essential apps that you need.”
With the cast members in their own little bubble and no contact allowed from friends and family from the ‘outside world,’ Leah revealed the sneaky trick she used to touch base when she was feeling a little homesick.
“I’ve done a little trick on a bank transfer because you’re allowed your banking up,” she says. “I’ve sent one of my friends money and put ‘miss you’ on the actual thing.”
The brides and grooms were then asked who they text the most, with John revealing he’s close to Bailey, before noting that Reiss is the one he texts the most.
As for Leisha, she messages Leah and April “all the time,” while for Keye, he texts John, Grace, Nelly, Maeve and Ashley.
And we’ve all seen those awkward and nail-biting sessions on the couch during the commitment ceremonies, where the experts – Paul C. Brunson, Mel Schilling, and Charlene Douglas – take a deep dive into the couple’s weeks.
But while we see a maximum of about five minutes per couple, how long do the scenes really take to film?
“45 minutes to an hour per couple,” reveals Keye.
However, it does seem to depend on the couple, with John pointing out that he and Abi “fly through” theirs.
And the days of filming are long too, with Keye explaining their longest was a whopping 14 hour day.
“But there are Maoams and sometimes there’s that magic coffee guy with a coffee cart – I enjoy him a lot!” he chimes in.
Leah and Leigh also went on to share where their bridal dresses were from and what they did with them after they exchanged their initial vows.
Mafs couples that have stood the test of time
Loved-up Tayah Victoria and Adam Aveling of series six fame had the first Mafs baby.
The pair couldn’t keep their hands off each other on the programme and quickly found their feet in the outside world, moving into Adam’s Doncaster home.
Just 18 months after meeting, the couple welcomed their daughter Beau.
Season five couple Michelle Walder and Owen Jenkins also managed to make their marriage work away from the cameras and had their first child in December.
Teacher Michelle, 29, has no regrets about taking part in the experiment. She told us: “I just feel very lucky and thankful that it has worked out – and excited for everything to come.”
Michelle and Owen were both sick of dating apps when they applied in 2019.
Owen recalled: “I had been out for some drinks with a friend after work.
“While he was out for a cigarette I was scrolling on Instagram waiting for him to come back in.
“The MAFS advert was the last thing I saw, and I joked, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if I signed up?’
“A few beers later when I was back at home I sent in the application, and the rest is history.”
Another couple to make Mafs UK history is Zoe Clifton and Jenna Robinson.
Despite a slight rocky start, where they clashed over Jenna’s vegan lifestyle, the show’s first same sex pairing are still going strong.
They even have a successful podcast together called Life With a Pod.
Jenna shed light on being involved in the show earlier this year when she told us: “We’re not legally married, and I never felt like we were. I definitely feel the process makes you take the relationship a lot more seriously and having the help of the experts… if you can survive that process it sets a firm foundation for a long-lasting relationship.”
While Leigh explains that her dress was rented from a shop called ‘Blush Bridal’ in Leigh-on-Sea so she had to give it back, Leah reveals hers was handmade by a lady in Liverpool.
Those who tuned in will have seen the couples jetting off to a range of exotic locations on their honeymoons – from Switzerland to Mauritius – but they didn’t get to choose, with Leigh explaining it was a “surprise.”
While Leisha says she and Reiss were “buzzing” when they found out they were being whisked off to Thailand, Keye and Davide points out they only found out they were heading to South Africa the morning they flew, which was a “fantastic surprise.”
“It couldn’t have been better honestly,” Keye says. “South African safari was phenomenal.”
