hoping

MARRIED At First Sight UK is back with a bang and a whole host of soon-to-be newlyweds looking for love.

Here we get to know brand-new bride Julia-Ruth, who’s more familiar with the spotlight than most reality TV contestants.

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Who is Julia-Ruth from Married at First Sight UK 2025?

Julia-Ruth is a 29-year-old professional dancer, originally from South Africa, who currently calls New Zealand and the UK home.

She has performed with some massive artists, even working as a backup dancer for rap megastar 50 Cent.

Julia-Ruth is one of the contestants starring in Married At First Sight UK 2025.

She had a challenging childhood, including being adopted at the age of 16 by her sister.

Julia-Ruth has experience in reality TV, so this isn’t her first foray into reality romance.

In 2023, she appeared on the Paramount+ programme Are You The One?

Julia-Ruth found love on the show, but the relationship didn’t last.

She has now been single for two years and admits she’s had a bad habit of choosing the wrong men.

So for her next chapter, Julia-Ruth is turning to the experts on Married At First Sight UK.

She’s hoping to find a grounded, ambitious and empathetic partner.

When is Married At First Sight 2025 on?

The new series of Married At First Sight UK starts on Sunday, September 21, 2025.

It runs nightly at 9pm from Sundays through to Wednesdays for its first few weeks on E4.

In previous years, the show aired Mondays to Thursdays, meaning MAFS UK on the weekend is a special treat for viewers this time around.

Expert matchmakers Paul C Brunson, Mel Schilling and Charlene Douglas are returning to make matches and guide couples through the process.

Who are the other Married at First Sight UK 2025 contestants?

Brides

• Anita, 54, operations manager from Durham — following some turbulent times she’s ready to say yes to everything, including a man she’s never met
• Grace, 31, midwife from Norwich — funny Grace is looking for a tall, dark, handsome, confident and humorous partner
• Leah, 35, business owner from Liverpool — searching for a fun and spontaneous partner after coming to the realisation she prefers women aged 25
• Leigh, 30, NHS clinical coder from Romford — following heartbreak, she’s ready for her happily ever after
• Maeve, 29, aesthetics practitioner from Newcastle — ‘trouble maker’ mum who refuses to settle for a man who won’t put the effort in
• Nelly, 30, cosmetic dentist from Manchester — hoping to get everything she deserves after a year alone
• Rebecca, 32, aesthetics nurse and clinic owner from Liverpool — looking for her dream man following a broken engagement
• Sarah, 31, recruitment consultant from Aberdeen — thinking there aren’t any eligible bachelors in her hometown, she’s only after “the nicest guy in the world”

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Grooms

• Ashley, 35, operations director from Bridgend — Sporty father whose ex-girlfriends include a former Miss Universe
• Bailey, 36, sales manager from St Albans — dad who set up a microbrewery, looking for family-oriented partner
• Davide, 33, cabin crew from Portugal — looking for fellow romantic following heartbreak after his huge wedding was cancelled earlier this year
• Dean, 31, team-building host from Feltham — following a year on his own he’s hoping to find his soul mate
• Divarni, 29, musician from London — self-proclaimed ladies’ man looking for partner with a nice smile
• Joe, 31, personal trainer from Huddersfield — former lothario and world traveller who’s ready to settle down after a frank talk from his mum
• Keye, 33, marketing manager from London — hoping the experts will find a man to look after him following his previous marriage ending
• Paul, 60, retired — father of three looking for someone he can share his hobbies with
• Steven, 34, investment banking manager from Essex — dad of two, ready to find lasting love after a year single

NELLY Patel will be a cast member for the tenth series of Married at First Sight.

She has taken a bold step into embarking on the reality TV show, having been single for the past year.

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Who is Nelly from Married at First Sight UK 2025?

Nelly is a 30-year-old cosmetic dentist from Manchester.

In a teaser trailer for the new series, she is shown having one of the most dramatic entrances ever seen on the show.

She advances down the aisle in a Bollywood-style outfit on a dolly covered with brightly coloured flowers in an extraordinary spectacle.

The 30-year-old narrates the video by portraying her nervousness about the reaction of her soon-to-be husband.

She says: “If he doesn’t react well to my entrance, I’d be devastated…

“I’m putting my heart on the line and I just really really hope it doesn’t get squished to little pieces because I don’t know how I’m going to come back from it if it does…”

Described as “Outspoken, confident, and warm”, Nelly has been single for over a year and is now ready to search for true love.

She “knows what she deserves” and is looking for a man who is “strong, emotionally intelligent, and not intimidated by a woman who knows exactly who she is.”

When is Married at First Sight UK 2025 on?

The tenth series of Married at First Sight begins on Sunday, September 21 at 9pm (BST).

Relationship experts Paul C. Brunson, Melanie Schilling and Charlene Douglas will be returning for another series.

For the first time ever, new episodes will be running from Sunday to Wednesday rather then from Monday to Thursday.

The show is on E4 and will be available to stream on demand via Channel 4.

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Who are the other Married at First Sight UK 2025 contestants?

Expert Paul has claimed that the new series will be “one of the most memorable” in the reality show’s history.

Another show source said: “For the first time in MAFS UK history, there will be two gay weddings in the same series.

“In the upcoming run, which hits screens later this month, viewers will see a gay male pair and a lesbian twosome meet for the first time at the altar.”

The 18 participants are listed in full below:

• ANITA, 54, Durham, Operations Manager
• GRACE, 31, Norwich, Midwife in mental health services
• JULIA-RUTH, 29, New Zealand, Professional Dancer 
• LEAH, 35, Liverpool, business owner
• LEIGH, 30, Romford, NHS Clinical Coder
• MAEVE, 29, Newcastle, Aesthetics Practitioner 
• NEELIMA (NELLY), 30, Manchester, Cosmetic Dentist
• REBECCA, 32, Liverpool, Aesthetics Nurse and clinic owner 
• SARAH, 31, Aberdeen, Recruitment Consultant 
• ASHLEY, 35, Bridgend, Operations Director
• BAILEY, 36, St Albans, Sales Manager
• DAVIDE, 33, Portugal, Cabin Crew
• DEAN, 31, Feltham, Team Building Host 
• DIVARNI, 29, London, Musician
• JOE, 31, Huddersfield, Personal Trainer 
• KEYE, 33, London, Marketing Manager
• PAUL, 60, Edinburgh, Retired
• STEVEN, 34, Essex, Investment Banking Manager 

McALLEN, Texas — President Trump’s administration has started requiring parents looking to reunite with their children who crossed into the U.S. alone to show up for interviews where immigration officers may question them, according to a policy memo obtained by The Associated Press.

Legal advocacy groups say the shift has led to the arrest of some parents, while their children remain in U.S. custody. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not confirm that or answer questions about the July 9 directive, instead referring in a statement to the Biden administration’s struggles to properly vet and monitor homes where children were placed.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is part of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department and which takes custody of children who cross the border without a parent or legal guardian, issued the directive. The agency said the goal is to ensure that sponsors — usually a parent or guardian — are properly vetted.

The memo is among several steps the Trump administration has taken involving children who came to the U.S. alone. Over the Labor Day weekend it attempted to remove Guatemalan children who were living in shelters or with foster care families.

The July 9 memo regarding sponsors said they must now appear in person for identification verification. Previously, sponsors could submit identity documents online. The directive also says “federal law enforcement agencies may be present to meet their own mission objectives, which may include interviewing sponsors.”

Neha Desai, managing director of human rights at the National Center for Youth Law, said the change provides U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement a “built-in opportunity” to arrest parents — something she said has already happened.

Mary Miller Flowers, director of policy and legislative affairs for the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, said she knew of a case in which immigration officers arrested the father of a child under the age of 12 who had shown up for an identification check. “As a result, mom is terrified of coming forward. And so, this child is stuck,” Miller Flowers said.

Desai also said the interviews are unlikely to produce information authorities don’t already have. Vetting already included home studies and background checks done by Office of Refugee Resettlement staff, not immigration enforcement.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement said it communicates “clearly and proactively” with parents, telling them they may be interviewed by ICE or other law enforcement officials. It said parents can decline to be interviewed by ICE and that refusal won’t influence decisions about whether their children will be released to them.

“The goal is to ensure that every child is released to a stable and safe environment and fully vetted sponsors by ensuring the potential sponsor is the same individual submitting supporting documentation, including valid ID,” it said in a statement.

However, Desai is aware of a situation in which a sponsor was not notified and only able to decline after pushing back.

“We know of sponsors who are deeply, deeply fearful because of this interview, but some are still willing to go forward given their determination to get their children out of custody,” she said.

Trump administration points to Biden

Tricia McLaughlin, a Homeland Security spokesperson, issued a statement that did not address any arrests or mention the specific changes. Instead, she said the department is looking to protect children who were released under President Joe Biden’s administration.

A federal watchdog report released last year addressed the Biden’s administration struggles during an increase in migrant children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2021. The Trump administration has dispatched Homeland Security and FBI agents to visit the children.

Another recent change allows ICE to interview children while they are at government-run shelters. That took effect July 2, according to a separate directive that the Office of Refugee Resettlement sent to shelters, also obtained by the AP.

The agency said it provides legal counsel to children and that its staff does not participate in interviews with law enforcement. Child legal advocates say they get as little as one-hour notice of the interviews, and that the children often don’t understand the purpose of the interview or are misled by officers.

“If we don’t understand what the interview is for or where the information is going, are we really consenting to this process?” said Miller Flowers, with the Young Center.

Jennifer Podkul, chief of global policy at Kids in Need of Defense, said some officers lack language skills, trauma-informed interviewing techniques and knowledge of the reunification process.

“It seems like it’s designed just to cast the net wider on immigration enforcement against adults,” she said.

String of policy changes adding hurdles to reunification process

The July changes are among the steps the Trump administration has taken to ramp up vetting of parents seeking to reunite with children.

The administration has required fingerprinting from sponsors and any adults living in the home where children are released. It has also required identification or proof of income that only those legally present in the U.S. could acquire, as well as introducing DNA testing and home visits by immigration officers.

Children have been spending more time in government-run shelters under increased vetting. The average length of stay for those released was 171 days in July, down from a peak of 217 days in April but well above 37 days in January, when Trump took office.

About 2,000 unaccompanied children were in government custody in July.

Shaina Aber, an executive director of the Acacia Center for Justice analyzing child custody data, attributes the longer custody times to the policy changes.

“The agency’s mission has been conflated and entangled,” she added. “It seems ORR’s mission has been somewhat compromised in that they are now doing more on the immigration enforcement side, and they’re not an immigration enforcement entity.”

Gonzalez writes for the Associated Press.

WASHINGTON — Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose case has come to encapsulate much of President Trump’s hard-line immigration agenda, wants to seek asylum in the United States, his lawyers told a federal judge Wednesday.

Abrego Garcia, 30, was detained Monday by U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement in Baltimore after leaving a Tennessee jail on Friday. The Trump administration said it intends to deport him to the African country of Uganda.

Administration officials have said he’s part of the dangerous MS-13 gang, an allegation Abrego Garcia denies.

The Salvadoran national’s lawyers are fighting the deportation efforts in court, arguing he has the right to express fear of persecution and torture in Uganda. Abrego Garcia has also told immigration authorities he would prefer to be sent to Costa Rica if he must be removed from the U.S.

A request for asylum in 2019

A U.S. immigration judge denied his request for asylum in 2019 because he applied more than a year after he had fled to the U.S. He left El Salvador at the age of 16, around 2011, to join his brother, who had become a U.S. citizen and was living in Maryland.

Although he was denied asylum, the immigration judge did issue an order shielding Abrego Garcia from deportation to El Salvador because he faced credible threats of violence from a gang there that had terrorized him and his family. He was granted a form of protection known as “withholding of removal,” which prohibits him from being sent to El Salvador but allows his deportation to another country.

Following the 2019 ruling, Abrego Garcia was released under federal supervision and continued to live with his American wife and children in Maryland. He checked in with ICE each year, received a federal work permit and was working as a sheet metal apprentice earlier this year, his lawyers have said.

But in March, the Trump administration deported Abrego Garcia to a notorious El Salvador prison, alleging he was a member of MS-13.

The allegation stems from a day in 2019 when Abrego Garcia sought work as a day laborer at a Home Depot in Maryland. Authorities had been told by a confidential informant that Abrego Garcia and other men could be identified as members of MS-13 because of their clothing and tattoos. He was detained by police, but Abrego Garcia was never charged — and has repeatedly denied the allegation. He was turned over to ICE and that’s when he applied for asylum for the first time.

Wrongful deportation and return

The Trump administration’s deportation of Abrego Garcia in March violated the immigration judge’s 2019 order barring his removal to El Salvador. Abrego Garcia’s wife sued to bring him back. Facing mounting pressure and a U.S. Supreme Court order, the Trump administration returned Abrego Garcia to the U.S. in June, where he was charged with human smuggling, a federal offense.

Abrego Garcia is accused of taking money to transport people who were in the country illegally. He has pleaded not guilty and asked the judge to dismiss the case, saying it was filed to punish him for challenging his deportation.

The charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop for speeding in Tennessee. There were nine passengers in the SUV and Abrego Garcia had $1,400 in cash on him. While officers discussed among themselves their suspicions of smuggling, he was allowed to drive away with only a warning.

A Homeland Security agent testified that he didn’t begin investigating until this April, when the government was facing mounting pressure to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S. The trial is set for January.

A federal judge in Tennessee released Abrego Garcia from jail on Friday after ruling that he was not a flight risk or a danger. The Trump administration moved to deport Abrego Garcia again on Monday, alleging he is a danger.

Abrego Garcia then stated his intent to reopen his immigration case in Maryland and to seek asylum again, his lawyers said Wednesday. Asylum, as defined under U.S. law, provides a green card and a path to citizenship. Abrego Garcia can still challenge his deportation to Uganda, or any other country, on grounds that it is unsafe.

Abrego Garcia’s lawyers say sending him to Uganda would be punishment for successfully fighting his deportation to El Salvador, refusing to plead guilty to the smuggling charges and for seeking release from jail in Tennessee.

Judge keeps Abrego Garcia in the U.S., for now

Abrego Garcia’s attorneys have filed a federal lawsuit to ensure that he can exercise his constitutionally protected right to fight deportation. He is entitled to immigration court proceedings and appeals, his lawyers say.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland, who is overseeing the lawsuit, has ruled that the U.S. government cannot remove Abrego Garcia from the country as the lawsuit plays out.

Justice Department attorney Drew Ensign said the government disagrees with the court’s order not to remove him while the lawsuit is pending but that it will comply.

Xinis will not rule on whether Abrego Garcia receives asylum or is deported, but will determine whether he can exercise his right to contest deportation. His asylum case will be heard by a U.S. immigration judge, who is employed by the Department of Justice under the authority of the Trump administration.

The nation’s immigration courts have become a key focus of Trump’s hard-line immigration enforcement efforts. The president has fired more than 50 immigration judges since he returned to the White House in January.

Abrego Garcia’s lawyers have said he’ll be able to appeal immigration court rulings to the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Kunzelman and Finley write for the Associated Press. Finley reported from Norfolk, Va. AP writer Elliot Spagat contributed to this report.

Tusk called the vote as he seeks to regain momentum after his ally lost the presidential election earlier this month.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says his pro-European Union coalition has the mandate to govern ahead of a crucial confidence vote in parliament.

Tusk called the vote as he seeks to regain momentum after his ally Rafal Trzaskowski was defeated by nationalist Karol Nawrocki in the country’s presidential election earlier this month, prompting predictions of his government’s demise.

Tusk, whose fractious centrist coalition built around his Civic Platform party holds 242 seats in the 460-seat Sejm, or lower house, is expected to survive the vote, which could potentially trigger early elections, not scheduled until 2027.

“Governing Poland is a privilege,” Tusk told politicians ahead of the vote on Wednesday. “We have a mandate to take full responsibility for what’s going on in Poland.”

He listed higher defence spending and a cut in his government’s visa issuance for migrants as major achievements since he took power in October 2023 from the nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS).

But a win is unlikely to bring the “new beginning” the 68-year-old leader is hoping for after this month’s presidential race left his coalition rattled, raising questions over his leadership against a backdrop of surging support for the far-right in the country of 38 million.

Following the presidential election, there has been growing criticism that Tusk’s government has underdelivered on its campaign promises, failing to fulfil pledges of liberalising abortion laws, reforming the judiciary and raising the tax-free income threshold.

Tensions within the governing coalition, particularly with the Polish People’s Party (PSL), which advocates for socially conservative values and wants more curbs on immigration, could spell more trouble.

President-elect Nawrocki, an admirer of US President Donald Trump, is also an EU-sceptic who is expected to work to boost the opposition PiS party that backed him.

An SW Research poll for Rzeczpospolita daily showed that about a third of Poles thought Tusk’s government would not survive until the end of its term in 2027.

‘Is it the end of Tusk?’

Polish presidents can veto legislation passed by the parliament, a power that will likely hamper reform efforts by Tusk’s government, such as the planned introduction of same-sex partnerships or easing a near-total ban on abortion.

It could also make ties with Brussels difficult, particularly over rule of law issues, as Nawrocki has expressed support for the controversial judicial reforms put in place by the previous PiS government.

Ties with Ukraine could become more tense as Nawrocki opposes Ukraine’s membership of NATO and has been critical of the support for Ukrainian refugees in Poland.

Nawrocki is expected to begin his five-year mandate formally on August 6 once the election result has been legally validated.

The election commission has found evidence of counting errors in favour of Nawrocki in some districts.

Parliament speaker Szymon Holownia, a government ally, said there was “no reason to question the result”.

Tusk previously served as Polish prime minister from 2007-2014 and then as president of the European Council from 2014–2019. He resumed his leadership of the country as prime minister again in December 2023.

Austria have now won the Eurovision Song Contest three times after victory in 1966 and 2014. Vienna hosted the event following both victories.

On Saturday, Australian opera singer JJ won the hearts and minds of the European public with the surging, storming song ‘Wasted Love’.

In doing so, he beat Israel’s Yuval Raphael into second place and saved the ESC organisers a huge potential headache of whether or not to host a song contest in a warzone.

Austria have now won the Eurovision Song Contest three times after victory in 1966 and 2014. Vienna hosted the event following both victories. In the coming weeks, conversations will take place with potential host cities across Austria.

While it will come as no surprise that Vienna and Innsbruck have officially put themselves forward to host next year’s final, other, smaller settlements are vying to get in on the act. An Austrian travel colleague (who does admittedly live in Vienna so may be a little biased) tells me that others in the running are “the smallest and most charmless towns” the country has to offer.

While one of the bigger players is likely to be given the nod, it is not out of the question that the Austrian committee award it to one of the outside runners. Indeed, after Ireland won the 1992 finals, they decided to host the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest in Millstreet, a town with a population of 1,500 in West County Cork.

Given Eurovision fans will splash out on pairs of glittery lederhosen and make their way to whichever host city gets the nod, a destination guide to the hopefuls may come in handy.

Oberwart

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It would be a real turn-up for the books if Oberwart’s bid were successful. Located in Burgenland, it is a small town famed for its ethnic Hungarian minority and a population of 8,000 including JJ’s singing teacher. The Mayor of Oberwart, Georg Rosner has put the town forward, despite it lacking the capacity to accommodate the travelling eurofans. What it does have are four main attractions, according to Tripadvisor at least: The Baumwipfelweg Althodis observation deck, the AK-Bücherei Oberwart library, a mini-golf course and a cinema. Also, handily, a large concert venue is due to open later this year.

Graz

While it may not be in pole position, it would not be a total shock if Graz got the nod. Not only is it Austria’s second largest city with 250,000 people, it seems quite charming. Graz used to be known as “Austria’s secret love” and “small town at the river Mur”, due to the quiet, calm pace of life there.

In the heart of the city, there’s Schlossberg mountain, on top of which a fortress used to perch in the 11th century. Looking down from there over the city roofs, you will be able to spy buildings from the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Historism and Art Nouveau eras.

Hidden between the buildings are romantic lanes and hidden courtyards of the Italian-style palazzi. It is recommended to walk up and down the Gothic double spiral staircase that forms the backbone of the Burg to appreciate its unique construction. Graz was once a residence city of the Habsburgs, and the royal legacy is apparent through the likes of Eggenberg Palace, which has public museums, gardens and a magnificent park

Wels

“Wels, the jewel in the central region of Upper Austria, is a city grown out of history in the middle of nature,” claims the Upper Austria tourist board. Wels is best known for its conventions, trade fairs and shops. With a population of 60,000 people, it would be similar to Bangor or Margate hosting the ESC if it were to win. Notable landmarks include the Lederer Tower on the picturesque town square; the town hall, the late Gothic parish church with magnificent 14th-century stained-glass windows; and the former imperial castle where the Holy Roman emperor Maximilian I died in 1519.