Married at First Sight UK returns to our screen next week and for many, there will be an instantly recognisable accent.
“Born and bred” Scouser, Thomas Hartley, from Litherland is just one of the eight grooms who will be embarking on the journey of a lifetime in a bid to find true love. This time around, the popular E4 programme promises to be “bigger and more dramatic” than before. Kicking off the 30 instalments is a stag night for the men and hens night for the ladies. Throughout, viewers will watch as the bunch of singletons place their trust in relationship experts Paul C Brunson, Charlene Douglas and Mel Schilling, as they navigate through married life.
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Thomas, a mental health care assistant, reckons he already knows what he is looking for in a man in spite of what advice the dating experts have to offer. The 31-year-old is eager to find a connection that will rival the likes of Jay-Z and Beyonce’s or Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black. Thomas, who is pansexual - someone who asserts that neither gender nor sex are determining factors in their attraction to others - told the ECHO : “They just give off power and are trying to make the world a better place. My perfect type on paper is tall, dark, handsome and well cultured with confidence and passion or in a woman the same minus the tall and handsome, like Idris Elba or Naomi Campbell.”
Describing his love life as “impulsive, casual and a good time”, Thomas has been engaged twice before, both times to men, but “got cabin fever” and backed out before the big day. Since then, he has been single for two years but has watched his favourite rom-com, Bridesmaids, plenty of times to know what to expect.
He added: “In a relationship, I offer laughter, loyalty, a bodyguard and great sex. My biggest ick would be a Tory. A red flag to me is somebody who is completely self-absorbed, a liar or manipulative. I do think there’s somebody out there for everyone, but I could probably speak less and be a bit tidier.”
Thomas is said to be bursting with energy, sarcasm, and bawdy humour and, for as long as he can remember, he’s always loved being the centre of attention. He’s extremely sociable, unapologetically loud, and not one to back down in an argument - making him perfect for TV entertainment. Understandably, his worst nightmare would be for someone to describe him as “nice”. When he enters a room, Thomas is used to having all eyes on him and he’s looking for a partner to help balance him out.
Teasing what fans can expect from the upcoming series, Thomas said: “Complete fireworks, lots of boundary-pushing, comedy and me being my authentic self which I cannot say for some of the others. I expected something completely different to what I got, however, I went in with a completely open mind and genuinely give it my all. I would do it again in a heartbeat, I think it’s a great chance to self-reflect.”
Although many contestants appear on the show to find their soul mate, Thomas was also motivated by a lack of LGBTQ+ representation on TV. He said: “I love Liverpool and in light of the last few years there has been a lot of hate crime against the community, I want to be visible for them and try and help in normalising our presence even more. We have come a long way but people are manipulated by the media and I want to counteract that with my presence. I’m here, I’m queer and I’m still a Scouser who will fight for the oppressed.”
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