Married At First Sight is back for another explosive series following a hit run last autumn on E4, but a number of the couples are already showing cracks in their relationships.
The first two episodes aired this week of the longer run of 30 episodes and saw the batch of adventurous singles prepare to walk down the aisle and meet their new spouse.
The popular show promises to be “bigger and more dramatic” this series as the brides and grooms put the search for love in the hands of relationship experts Mel Schilling, Paul C. Brunson and Charlene Douglas.
However, sex and relationship expert at condoms.uk, Pippa Murphy, has weighed in on which couples are likely to go the distance after they first met moments before tying the knot.
Pippa noted that while it is possible that being on Married at First Sight could result in a lasting marriage, it is unfortunately “unlikely”, citing the fact that just five of the 71 couples from the show’s run are still married – marking a seven per cent success rate.
“We only see the more superficial stages of the ‘marriage’, which is often known as the ‘honeymoon’ period when dating,” Pippa said. “This includes good sex, an attraction and (potentially) falling for someone’s mind, character, personality, and skills.”
After watching the first two episodes of Married at First Sight UK, Pippa said it seems that only one of the four couples show “positive signs of a long-lasting relationship”: Chanita and Jordan.
The social worker and account manager seem to be on a path towards romance, the relationship expert said, as they both share clear family values and want stability in their life.
She said: “A real indicator that they are a good match was when Jordan opened up about the passing of his nan and began to cry during his wedding speech.
“Without any hesitation, Chanita ran straight over and gave him a heart-to-heart hug which shows her sincerity.”
Meanwhile, Duka and Whitney are already “showing strong signs that they won’t last”, Pippa said, noting they have set their expectations too high, with Whitney focusing on the fact that Duka is “only 6 ft 1” or that he’s a Gemini.
She continued: “The single biggest mistake people make when they go on Married at First Sight is setting such high expectations for their partner, and throwing in the towel as soon as they realise that their partner (or any partner) was never going to meet them. Unfortunately, Whitney is the perfect example of this.
“That being said, Whitney did show some signs of vulnerability, especially when discussing the unfortunate loss of her mum.
“If she stops fixating on the small stuff and opens up to Duka, she may find that she can rely on Duka for emotional support which can help them build a bond.”
Pippa singled out April and George as the couple that is “most likely to break up”, given that April was stunned when George dropped the bombshell that he has four kids.
Pippa said: “Naturally, this is a big red flag – however, the biggest red flag was revealed in a teaser for tonight’s show.
“George hinted that April has cheated on him. Whilst the details of this are unclear until the episode comes out, this isn’t a great start as George has previously mentioned that his past relationships have broken down due to being “betrayed”.”
