A WOMAN was brutally dumped by the altar in the most savage way after her dream man decided to call off their wedding.
They may have been one of the viewers’ favourites – but after landing in final of Love Is Blind UK, Maria Benkh’s story with Tom Stroud came to an abrupt end when the fiancé walked away from her.
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The duo, one of the five couples who made it to the end of the Netflix series, connected quickly over the first episodes.
The two singletons instantly bonded over their unique sense of humour, as well as the loss of their dads, where Maria sadly lost her father in 2020 and Tom’s father left the family when he was a young child.
During the show, hosted by Emma and Matt Willis, Tom revealed to Maria: “I genuinely feel like I’m most myself with you.”
Maria also admitted to the dark-haired hunk: “I have never pictured my life with someone until I met you.
”I have never felt like this with anyone… You are absolutely amazing, I have never felt so sure about anyone.”
Things appeared to be progressing well, despite Maria’s ideal relationship being the ”traditional type”, where her future hubby would be the provided.
After Maria, a lash tech from Southampton, spent a fun day with the other contestants on a hen do, and Tom enjoyed a fun-filled stag do with his pals, the pair met at the altar.
Surrounded by family and those closest to them, the couple looked incredible, with the brunette beauty looking glam in a white gown and Tom sporting a smart suit.
As tears were rolling down the eyes of both the bride and the guests, Maria shared a heartfelt speech, where she thanked for helping her ”become a better person”.
”You’re someone I can lean on, someone I can go to when I need support.
”Someone who let’s me be me 100% without any judgement,” she said, before ending the emotional note with a declaration of love.
It was then decision-making time – and little did Maria, and those in the room, know her life would turn upside down.
After being asked if he would take the bride for his wife, Tom could be seen nervously avoiding eye contact – and dropping the bombshell.
”I love you.
”I just feel like right now is not the right time for me.
”We’ve had some differences in values and I haven’t had enough time to really understand how those differences would affect our life day-to-day.
Meet the cast of Love is Blind UK
HERE is the full list of hopeless romantics looking to find love…
- AARON is a 33-year-old chicken restaurateur from Milton Keynes whose best friend is England footballer Ivan Toney.
- BENAIAH is 33 from Preston and works as a structural landscaper who travels the world.
- STAFFORDSHIRE-born Bobby is 33 and works as a globe-trotting luxury shopping guide.
- CATHERINE, 29, works as a dental nurse from Jersey who is adopted.
- CHARLIE is 34 from Hertfordshire and is general manager of a gym.
- DUBLIN-born Conor is 31 and is the owner of a health food business.
- LONDONER Demi is a 30-year-old safeguarding and attendance manager.
- SOCIAL worker Ella is from Derbyshire and is 27 years old.
- GRAPHIC Designer Ellis is 27 from London and says she was raised by her dad who is “husband goals”.
- FUNERAL director Freddie is 32 from Bolton and has a brother with Down’s Syndrom.
- 32-year-old Jake from Leicestershire is a civil engineer who tragically lost his mum.
- MENTAL Health Nurse Jasmine is from London and is 29 years old and grew up in the Phillipines.
- JOANES is a resident service manager who was born in Angola but lives in Luton and is 33 years old.
- FASHION tech founder Jordan is 33 years old and lives in Surrey.
- LISA is a baby photographer from Edinburgh and is 34 years old.
- MAKE-UP artist Maria is 30 from Southampton and was devastated by the death of her dad in 2020 during Covid.
- NATASHA, 32, is a career coordinator from Cheshire and wants to find her forever love like her parents who have been married for 42 years.
- HEAD of brand and marketing’s Nicole is 29 from Surrey and was previously married, but hasn’t given up on love.
- CREATIVE project director Olivia is 28 from London but has lived and worked in Los Angeles.
- OLLIE works in software sales, lives in London and is 32 but hasn’t been in a serious relationship for six years.
- 37-year-old Priya, who was once engaged for 24 hours, is from Berkshire and works as a procurement manager.
- RIA is 34 from London and her job is a commercial contracts manager.
- SPORTS-mad Richie is a 30-year-old from Gloucestershire who works as a sports turf maintenance director.
- TECHNO DJ and Cellist Ryan is 31 from Edinburgh, but was born in Korea.
- SABRINA, 35, is a director of marketing and communications from Belfast who describes herself as “unlucky in love”.
- SAM is a 31-year-old Londoner who works as a product design manager and is desperate to find The One.
- MUSIC boss Sharlotte, 35, London, is a global communications director at Universal.
- JUNIOR Doctor Shirley, 27, is from London, but was born in the Netherlands and falls for emotionally unavailable men.
- STEVEN is 37 years old from London and is a gym owner.
- 38-year-old Tom is a PR and advertising consultant from London who describes himself as a mummy’s boy.
”You look so beautiful,” he told Maria who could no longer hold the tears back.
After being brutally dumped and left by the altar on her own, Maria bravely opened up about her shock which she was struggling to come to terms with.
”I absolutely can’t believe this. I wanted to get married. I wanted to be a wife and I feel incredibly sad that I didn’t get the ending that I had always pictured for myself.”
But despite the heartache, Maria admitted that ”it probably wasn’t the right time” for both of them
”Honestly, I don’t really know what to say. I think I am just shocked.”
Although Tom later confessed he found the decision incredibly difficult, he was worried about their future, especially as parents-to-be.
”My concern would be that if I had a boy, she would teach him to pay for most things when my lad would be dating for the first time.
”If I had a little girl, I wouldn’t want that girl to expect the guy to pay for everything.
”I would want to raise that girl as a strong, independent woman that contributes herself.”