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Ofcom has received more than 100 complaints from Married At First Sight viewers over the way groom Ashley was treated during his time on the hit E4 reality series

Ofcom has received more than 100 complaints from Married At First Sight fans over the way a groom was treated. Earlier in this series of the hit E4 reality show. viewers watched as midwife Grace ‘tied the knot’ with Ashley but she was visibly not very keen from the start.

The couple made it past the initial wedding stage of the experiment, but various issues kept cropping up as they tried to embark on their new relationship and it all ended after one final argument that took place at a dinner party.

She added: “I expect you to act like a grown man capable of self-control. Sponsored by Canesten Duo.” The pair have been notably absent at various points within the series, and in the end, Ashley removed his wedding band when he decided that ‘couldn’t do anymore‘ for her without her taking issue with it as she accused him of ‘twisting’ everything.

READ MORE: Married at First Sight UK’s Ashley issues statement after sparking romance rumoursREAD MORE: Married At First Sight UK’s Grace takes brutal swipe at Ashley as fans express concern

But viewers have taken issue with the way that experts Mel Schilling, Paul C Brunson and Charlene Douglas seemingly enabled Grace’s behaviour during her time on camera. A spokesperson for Ofcom confirmed: “Complaints related to the experts allegedly enabling Grace’s treatment of Ashley.” In total, the regulator received 166 complaints from angry viewers.

It comes just one day after Grace took to social media to hit out at her ex regarding their final argument. She said: “I expect you to accept no for an answer. I expect you to prioritise my discomfort over your desire for sex. I expect you to act like a grown man capable of self-control. Sponsored by Canesten Duo.”

Things went from bad to worse for the couple during Wife Swap week, when Ashley admitted that he was ‘happier’ when his bride was not around. On the verge of tears, he explained: “I’d hate to hurt Grace’s feelings. I just feel like I can’t give any more to this. So I have to be selfish and put myself first. Grace then admitted: “I would have really liked if this had worked out I think we recognise now there was never anyway it was going to (work). But yeah, you do know that deep down.”

When viewers first met Ashley and Grace, she refused to accept a kiss on the lips when they were pronounced as husband and wife. Things got even more heated between the pair at the dinner following the wedding, when Ashley admitted that he had been raised with ‘old-fashioned’ morals and believed that a man should be the breadwinner. Grace was visibly shocked at this revelation, and in a confessional, she fumed: “God, here we go!”

Later on, Grace’s friend Georgina interrogated Ashley over his outlook on life and when he suggested he was not necessarily a feminist, she raged that someone like that was not going to be a match for Grace.

She said: “My advice was, she wants to know you respect her.” She then relayed her concerns to Grace, but insisted she had managed to warm to Ashley by explaining to him just what she thought a feminist was. This whole scene did not go down well with some viewers either, with one writing: “Grace & her friends seem like the type to bring about their own misery,” and another slamming it as the ‘most insufferable conversation’ they had ever heard.

Viewers will have to wait to see just how things pan out between Ashley and Grace on the next episode, but the trailer for next week teased that things might not be looking so good.

In a short clip, Grace raged: “Every now and then he says something, and it’s like ‘Do you know how that sounds?!'”

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Jessika Power, an administration officer who was in series six of Married at First Sight Australia, has had tests in hospital to find out what has been causing her stomach pains

A Married at First Sight Australia star has been dashed to hospital with stomach pains.

Jessika Power, 33, has confirmed she has had tests in a bid to work out what has caused her struggle. Posting an Instagram clip from her hospital bed, the administration officer described the pain as “really intense” but, as yet, doctors have been unable to diagnose her.

“I’ve been having really bad problems with my tummy so we’re just doing some more tests, because I’m an older woman now and I’ve got to look after myself. This pain’s really intense… I’ll let you guys know what’s going on when I know. I thought if I was sick and didn’t post for a while you guys would freak out,” the star, who was in series six of Married at First Australia, told her followers.

Jessika broke up with Mick Gould, 35, before the final decision on the TV show. She since dated boat builder Ryan Loveridge but earlier this year, she split with the man, who had previously been on Celebs Go Dating.

READ MORE: MAFS UK star Rebecca dishes shocking home truths and issues warning to Leo in tense sceneREAD MORE: Celebrity Traitors star ‘told off’ by bosses after letting slip spoilers

During her time on MAFS, Jessika received huge backlash after cheating on her groom Mick with fellow contestant Dan Webb, a car broker. Speaking after the series, which aired in 2021, Jessika said: “I’m not a nasty, horrible girl [anymore] and I honestly have to laugh at the trolls.”

The young woman, from Perth, Western Australia, added: “They (the trolls) come to my Instagram to say horrible things and call me a bully – but that makes them bullies.”

READ MORE: Cute pyjama brand the MAFS UK girls all wear as viewers ‘desperate’ to knowREAD MORE: MAFS UK’s Julia-Ruth breaks major show rule as she slams co-stars in brutal post

During this year’s UK Married At First Sight, Rebecca dished out some home truths. Fans of the E4 programme , which sees total strangers ‘marry’ before trying to make a success of their sudden relationship, will know that April and Leo tied the knot relatively late in the new series after being introduced as ‘intruder bride and grooms,’ after all the other participants had already been matched.

And in Wednesday night’s episode, Rebecca, who had had some time apart from her husband Bailey as part of Partner Swap week, caught up with her co-stars over dinner and quickly set about having a candid conversation with Leo about the state of his relationship with April.

Having chatted to Rebecca about how things are going, Leo later claimed she had ‘misinterpreted’ what he said, and she then decided to put her two pence in on camera as well.

The Married at First Sight UK star has been spotted partying with a famous face – and it’s not Grace

Married at First Sight UK groom Ashley Dommett has ignited speculation about a potential new romance after being caught on camera partying with two brides from last year’s series.

The 35-year-old Welshman is currently matched with midwife Grace Law, 31, on the programme’s tenth series presently broadcasting on E4. However, their conflicting values and differing humour has created tension within their partnership.

Whilst the pair remain coupled up on the programme, they have stopped following one another on Instagram in recent weeks, fuelling speculation that they separated once cameras stopped rolling.

An insider close to the production told The Sun: “Grace has gone rogue recently and been slamming the show and the edit on socials, and now her and Ashley aren’t following each other, it’s pretty clear they aren’t together any more.”

On Wednesday evening (October 22) former MAFS UK participant Hannah Norburn shared footage showing herself enjoying beverages with her Season 9 colleague Sionainn Carmichael, alongside Ashley, reports OK!

In the footage, the threesome each grin at the camera whilst dancing with drinks as Justin Bieber’s track Baby plays in the background. She captioned the post: “Mini MAFS reunion with a new recruit and the worlds most unlikely trio.”

MAFS UK viewers were swift to swamp the comments section, questioning the stars about whether romance was developing.

However, Ashley maintained the group were “just friends,” disclosing: “It was actually Leisha Lightbody that organised the night but then had to work late and bail last minute.”

Both Hannah and Sionainn endured turbulent experiences during their series. Hannah was matched with a groom she repeatedly clashed with until he stopped communicating with her entirely, whilst also facing severe backlash from fellow brides who branded her a flirt with their partners.

She discovered comfort with co-star Orson, who similarly battled his own relationship troubles.

Meanwhile Sionainn departed the programme following an explosive row with her groom Ryan. She revealed to two fellow contestants that he admitted to “faking it all” throughout filming and viewed the experiment as merely a “holiday romance.”

Given their challenging ordeals, several comments beneath the footage targeted Hannah specifically, prompting Ashley to defend her.

“She’s actually a really nice person mate, had a class and needed fun night with them both last night,” he wrote.

Married at First Sight UK continues on Sunday night at 9pm on E4

Oct. 18 (UPI) — Senate Democrats and Republicans are not budging on their demands to temporarily fund the federal government and end the shutdown as key dates approach.

The shutdown is the federal government’s third-longest and entered its 18th day on Saturday after the Senate failed to approve a temporary funding measure for the 10th time on Thursday and adjourned for the weekend.

More votes are expected to be held next week, but if the Senate stalemate continues, active federal workers won’t receive their full paychecks on Friday for the first time during the current shutdown, according to The Hill.

Those federal workers who are still on the job also received only partial pay on Oct. 10, which affected an estimated 2 million employees and their families.

Federal workers are guaranteed back pay when the shutdown eventually ends and the government is funded, in accordance with a 2019 federal law.

While active federal workers could miss their first full paychecks on Friday, military personnel are slated to be paid a week later on Oct. 31.

President Donald Trump earlier announced his administration has located $8 billion in unused research-and-development allocations from the 2025 fiscal year that ended on Sept 30.

He used that money to pay 1.2 million military personnel on Wednesday, but several congressional lawmakers question the legality of doing so.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., intends to hold a vote to pay military personnel and other “excepted” federal workers.

“We’re going to give [senators] a chance to pay the military next week,” Thune told media.

Senate staffers also are slated to be paid on Monday and House staffers on Oct. 31, but the funds are not available.

Another pressing issue is the Affordable Care Act’s annual open enrollment period starting on Nov. 1.

A House-approved continuing resolution that would fund the federal government through Nov. 21 does not include an extension of ACA tax credits, which expire at the end of the year.

The 18-day shutdown will last at least into Monday and only has been surpassed by a 21-day shutdown from Dec. 16, 1995, to Jan. 6, 1996, and a 35-day shutdown that started on Dec. 22, 2018, and lasted until Jan. 25, 2019.

Senate Democrats mostly have refused to approve the continuing resolution and instead offered an alternative funding measure that would fund the federal government through Oct. 31 and would include an extension of the ACA tax credits and Medicaid eligibility.

Senate Republicans mostly prefer to negotiate such things in the 2026 fiscal year budget, though.

Another pressing date is Nov. 21, which is the Friday after Thanksgiving and one of the busiest travel weekends in the United States.

If the shutdown extends into the Thanksgiving weekend, a shortage of air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration workers would greatly affect air travel.

The president has cited the shutdown when laying off federal workers, but U.S. District of Northern California Judge Susan Illston has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from continuing to lay off federal workers who are represented by two public sector unions.

On Friday, Illston said she might expand the injunction to include members of three more labor unions, Roll Call reported.

Former President Bill Clinton appointed Illston to the federal bench in 1995.

Newcomers Reiss Boyce and Leisha Lightbody tied the knot in Tuesday night’s episode

A groom from Married at First Sight has revealed the heart-wrenching reason why he believes the show’s matchmaking “has to work”.

Tuesday’s episode (7 October) introduced us to newbies Reiss Boyce and Leisha Lightbody, who said their vows. The pair joined the programme on Monday, along with four other latecomers.

The couple were matched by experts Paul C Brunson, Charlene Douglas and Mel Schilling, and are now set to experience married life over the next few weeks.

Before his nuptials, 33-year-old decorator Reiss confessed that people often perceive him as a “pretty boy”. However, the lad from Essex was quick to point out that there’s much more to him than meets the eye.

Discussing his dream relationship, Reiss stressed the importance of family to him. He then revealed that he found out his dad wasn’t his biological father when he was just seven years old, reports OK!

Reiss stated: “When I get married, I don’t want to be having kids and breaking up. No way!”

He went on to say: “I want to do my best to keep it that [his family] all bonded and sealed together forever. When I was seven years old I found out that my dad wasn’t actually my real dad.”

Reflecting on this tough revelation, he added: “Looking back, at the time, I was only a young nipper. I didn’t really know what was going on. It was just a bit of a whirlwind, it was a lot to take in.

“That’s why I’ve got to do it properly. I’ve got one shot here, it’s got to work.”

Despite this, the new groom appears to share a close bond with his grandparents and is searching for a love story similar to theirs.

Sadly, Reiss’ MAFS experience has got off to a bumpy beginning.

Whilst he’s physically drawn to his new bride, the groom considers her “quite loud” and “a little bit over the top”.

The pair even clashed following the ceremony when Leisha challenged her new spouse for only pecking her on the cheek in front of their wedding guests.

They subsequently shared a kiss that Leisha appeared to relish but Reiss criticised because “there was no passion”.

Married at First Sight UK continues on E4 tomorrow night at 8pm

Negotiations are due to begin in Cairo, which US President Donald Trump says may bring an end to Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip.

Hamas has partially agreed to Trump’s plan to end the war, but with major caveats.

So has Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

But the details have yet to be agreed upon, including how Israeli forces withdraw and who will govern the Strip after the war ends.

So, is it possible to draw up a plan that all sides can agree to?

What would an interim government look like?

And what does all of this mean for the Palestinian people?

Presenter: Dareen Abughaida

Guests:

Mouin Rabbani – Researcher, Analyst and Co-Editor of Jadaliyya

Yossi Mekelberg – Political Analyst and Senior Consulting Fellow at Chatham House.

Muhammad Shehada – Analyst and Senior Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations

Kelly Hawes, who has appeared on Channel 4’s Married At First Sight UK, has advised viewers of an important legal matter to bear in mind when watching the show

A wedding celebrant has shared the “shocking truth” about Married At First Sight UK after series 10 of the social experiment saw the introduction of nine new newlywedded couples. The Channel 4 show first aired in 2015 shortly after the success of its Australian counterpart and has grown in popularity ever since.

Hertfordshire-based celebrant Kelly Hawes, who has appeared on the programme herself, has taken to TikTok to point out a key legal matter when it comes to the nuptials. “One question I am often asked is do they actually get married on Married At First Sight UK?” she began in a video.

She continued: “Well, no. They don’t do the legal registration of marriage. What they are having is a commitment ceremony.”

Kelly acknowledged that this is a “good thing”, however, as she declared: “The last thing we want to do is add to the number of divorced couples.

“This way, if the relationship doesn’t pan out, then really it’s just a relationship that hasn’t worked – rather than a marriage.”

One sceptic penned in response: “So they’re [sic] not actually getting married then. So it’s not marriage at first sight then.”

A second person noted: “So the very title is misleading? ‘Married’ at first sight. As opposed to ‘Committed’ at first sight.”

It prompted Kelly to explain: “TV is for entertainment value remember – and the title is to catch attention. At the end of the day the experiment is to match two people who should be compatible for marriage.”

Another TikTok viewer added: “They used to in the very early days, the problem was they then had to get legally divorced, the divorce meeting was shown on the show. That was back when the people on the show were genuinely looking for love and not wannabes wanting airtime and publicity.”

McAlister Family Law explains that for the first five series in the UK, couples were in fact legally married. Partner, Lisa Brown says for the purposes of the show, the audience need only buy into the principle – but legally, getting married is very complex.

“Being married is a change to your legal status and if things don’t work out you have to apply to the court to either have that marriage annulled or get divorced,” she explained. “Further, when couples get married, they gain the ability to make a financial claim against the other person under Matrimonial Causes Act 1973.”

Brown continued: “One of the peculiarities of the law as it stands is that a couple could live together for 25 years but not be able to make a financial claim against each other (save in limited circumstances) but somebody can get legally married at first sight, never live together and divorce as soon as they can and they would be able to make a claim.

“That claim could include property being transferred to them, a share of the other’s pension, a lump sum of money being paid and/or monthly sums being paid (spousal maintenance). In Married At First Sight circumstances, the reality is that it is unlikely that such a claim would be particularly fruitful and generally the expectation would be that they would exit the marriage with what they brought in but the ability to do it remains.”

Married at First Sight UK Season 10 continues on Sunday night on E4.

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MARRIED At First Sight UK tensions boil over between grooms Steven and Keye – with explosive scenes set to air on Wednesday night’s episode.

In a teaser clip for the E4 show Steven is first seen giving his bride Nelly a stern warning.

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He tells her in a prickly moment: “People don’t need to know my business yet, because you’ll see a side of me probably, you won’t like”.

Moments later, the action cuts to fellow groom Keye as he squares up to Steven in a fiery exchange.

“I’m not trying to come to your relationship. I’m not. Couldn’t give a flying f**k. I’m here for my relationship,” Keye snaps.

But Steven is quick to hit back, firing: “You’re basically telling people to ‘f**k off.’”

Turning back to the camera, Steven fumes: “You are not part of his relationship, so see yourself out.”

The feud comes hot on the heels of the first commitment ceremony, where the couples sat down with the experts to talk through their journeys so far.

Despite the drama Steven and his bride Nelly had earlier looked stronger than ever.

However, she broke down when opening up about her insecurities.

Reflecting on her big day and honeymoon in Jamaica, Nelly said: “As soon as I saw Steven, I just felt really calm. I just got a really nice vibe from him. We had such an amazing time. We didn’t bicker and just got on so well.

“We laughed a lot. We have a similar sense of humour. We are really playful with each other. It’s exactly what I wanted.”

But she admitted her fears soon crept in and said: “I always just think, like, well, when is something gonna go wrong. 

“I’m kind of waiting for something to happen, and it freaks me out a little bit, that it hasn’t. Why aren’t we arguing? 

“Why haven’t you irritated me? Why haven’t I irritated you? I end up trying to look for something.

“So, for example, I love how affectionate you are on our honeymoon… And then I’d come back to the apartment, and I would kind of think, he’s not giving me a kiss this morning. 

“And then I get in my head and think, yeah, ‘cause he doesn’t like you. And then he will give me a kiss and I think, ‘Oh, that was nice. He does like me.’ And it’s just constant.

“And I even feel saying this now, I’m thinking, ‘Oh, my God, this is gonna give him the ik, and it’s gonna push him away.’”

Relationship expert Paul C Brunson then revealed Nelly’s three past relationships had all ended because the men cheated.

But Steven wasn’t scared off – instead, he admitted he was already falling for his bride.

Paul asked him directly: “So you’re on the path?”

Steven replied: “Yeah, 100%. I am.”

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A fresh batch of singles try to find their match in MAFS’ new season, promising bombshells. But Paul C Brunson vows the anticipated reunion is set to be the most explosive yet.

Get ready for fireworks – and maybe a few tears. Married At First Sight expert Paul C Brunson has already warned viewers to brace themselves for the show’s upcoming reunion. And the new season hasn’t even yet started.

Married At First Sight UK is back on E4 for its landmark tenth series, promising another season of whirlwind weddings, fiery dinner parties and explosive commitment ceremonies.

At the helm once again are relationship experts Melanie Schilling, Charlene Douglas and Paul C Brunson, who all return to guide the newlyweds as they gamble everything on love with a stranger.

The show feels like home for Paul. “Charlene, Mel and I have worked together for so many years, we really fit together,” Paul says. “We were very much in sync.”

The format is familiar – nine couples meet at the altar, honeymoon and then move in together before facing weekly make-or-break ceremonies.

But series 10 is upping the ante with a cast that Paul describes as “a true cross-section of the UK”. This year, contributors hail from Manchester, Liverpool, Essex, London, Edinburgh – and also New Zealand – bringing different politics and professions into the experiment.

“It’s important, especially in this day and age, where you feel like we’re in the middle of a culture war,” Paul says. “We’ve taken different parts of the UK and they live together. They’re able to work through their differences, they don’t always resolve them but they manage them.”

Paul teases plenty of twists, with the reunion episode set to be the most explosive yet. “I truly believe that our reunion for MAFS this year will be the most memorable reunion in MAFS history,” he promises.

READ MORE: Shopper ‘gets so many compliments’ with scent that ‘wakes me up more than a coffee’

But beneath all the drama, experts face weighty challenges with this year’s brides and grooms throwing around therapeutic terms like “gaslighting”, “coercive control” and “narcissism” that need careful unpacking.

“We’re acquiring more language than ever before. People will talk about things like manipulation or coercive control,” he says. “For us, it’s becoming more challenging because the language is there, but the understanding isn’t.”

Paul says the biggest hurdle is emotional intelligence. “That’s fundamentally the bigger challenge because everyone assumes that they’re emotionally aware,” Paul says.

“If you can’t even tap into your feelings or emotions, how in the world can you identify that in your partner. How do you expect to emotionally connect with your partner? It’s learning to dance together.”

Then, there’s the shadow of social media. “Experts only see what happens at the dinner parties and commitment ceremonies,” Paul says.

“But I wish the audience would know that every time they comment about one of the contributors, they’re most likely seeing it. They’re human beings, they have loved ones who don’t need to see you talk about their body, their physicality or perceived intelligence.”

After years in the spotlight, Paul has found ways to protect his own wellbeing. “I used to be so immersed in it,” he says. “That’s why I go to therapy. But now, I’m entirely emotionally disconnected [from the drama]. I am constantly doing things with loved ones.”

He’s also channelled his energy into sport, becoming an investor in Sutton United FC. “As a sports fan, it’s a religion,” Paul says. “If we win or lose, that sways my mood a lot more than someone’s comment.”

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Married At First Sight star Lacey Martin clashed with her co-stars during a fiery reunion episode, which she eventually stormed out of following the tense clash

Lacey Martin stormed out of the Married At First Sight reunion episode in dramatic scenes that aired on Monday night. The reality star, 28, reunited with stars of the 2023 series and the 2024 outings of the E4 hit for a special programme, but there were fireworks when she clashed with her ex Nathan Campbell.

Fans of the show, which sees total strangers tie the knot after being put through a matchmaking process, decided to stay together after they ‘married’ on the programme, but split up quietly shortly after the series had aired.

Lacey joined her former co-stars for dinner and fumed: “I’ve said enough. The chapter’s closed, I wish you the best, I’m ready to move on with my life!”

READ MORE: MAFS UK star Lacey Martin’s secret reality TV past amid bombshell ‘showmance’ claimsREAD MORE: Married At First Sight UK 2025 trailer reveals four new couples, twist, turns and tantrums

But Kieran Chapman piped up: “Is that why you texted him a few days ago, asking him to do a magazine deal just to make us look better? Did you or didn’t you, a couple of days ago? You should know what I’m going to say; that’s why I’m butting in.”

Lacey then said bluntly: “Respectfully, I wish you the best. Enjoy your food,” as Kieran shot back: “You go enjoy your magazine deals!” As she left the room, Lacey said: “And on that note, I’m actually going to go tonight. No, I am. I am proud of myself, I was true. I fell in love with you, Nathan. I wish you all the best, now I have to go and put myself first. The chapter’s ended.”

She walked out in tears and was comforted by some of the girls. Once back inside, she announced to the table: “It was genuine our feelings for each other … I know you, I know you better than anyone else at this table.

“We can cherish our marriage, and it’s just a beautiful memory now. I do truly wish you the best.” After the show ended, it seemed that Lacey’s true colours came to light as Nathan claimed that she asked him to enter into a ‘showmance’ instead of continuing their love story.

Nathan told his fellow MAFS UK co-stars that after the experiment ended, Lacey’s energy changed dramatically, and she stopped making an effort to see him or to spend any quality time together.

When Nathan voiced his concerns about their relationship with Lacey, he claimed that his leading lady suggested that they should ‘just be friends’ and embark on a showmance instead in order to gain further media opportunities.

This led to Nathan’s heartbreak, before he ultimately decided to cut Lacey out of his life and block her number and all social media accounts.

Following the dramatic scenes, viewers flocked to X to share their support for Nathan as one gushed: “I wish I could give Nathan the biggest hug. You can see how genuinely upset he is. Bless his heart he really loved her – and she didn’t deserve him.”

Another echoed: “OMG in floods of tears watching Nathan. Lacey is crying because it’s the only way she can get out of it and deflect. She was LUCKY to have a man like him.” Someone else fumed: “Lacey girl, you need to give your head a wobble.”

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