MAFS UK groom Nathanial has launched a scathing attack on the reality show, branding his experience a “complete sham pretty much from the start”.
Nathanial was paired with trans bride Ella. He claimed that he initially told producers he wanted to marry “a man, or a woman with a very masculine energy, because that’s normally who I go for”.
He said his first reaction to marrying Ella was “no” because he “felt that just wasn’t me”. However, as viewers will have seen, Nathanial did change his mind and tie the knot with Ella.
MAFS: Nathanial reveals ‘deal-breaker’ with Ella
While the fact that Ella was trans wasn’t an issue for Nathanial, he did outline his “only deal-breakers” to producers, he claimed.
Speaking to the Mirror, he said: “My only deal-breakers were that she didn’t smoke and didn’t work in the sex industry.” Ella reportedly does smoke and, after they wed, told Nathanial that she had worked as a stripper.
He then claimed that MAFS had “created a monster” out of Ella. “There are couples with a beautiful connection. But with Ella, the show created a monster. I didn’t know who I was marrying. Some of the welfare just wasn’t there. What happened to me can’t happen to another person. This show needs to have a ‘For Entertainment Purposes’ all over it,” he then said.
Posting on Instagram three days ago, Ella didn’t seem to take a similar view. She said: Thank you to @cplproductions @e4mafsuk @e4grams all of the crew, welfare, producers who were with me for this beautiful experience and giving me the chance to be the first trans bride to walk those stairs. I’m honoured.”
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Nathanial quits MAFS
Elsewhere in the interview with the publication, Nathanial revealed that he had quit the show early.
The events manager from Manchester explained that he and another female contestant grew close. However, producers vetoed their romance, because it wasn’t “believable” due to Nathanial’s sexuality.
“At that point I knew I had to get out. I felt I was being strangled and it brought out an ugly side of me. I knew I was going to tear the place down, so I quit,” Nathanial then said.
He then went on to say that he had asked for an apology from both Ella and Channel 4. However, he didn’t receive one from either.
‘The welfare of all contributors is a top priority’
However, Channel 4 has hit back at the allegations.
A Channel 4 spokesperson said: “Nathanial entered this process voluntarily with full and informed consent, and in this instance was actually provided with more information than we would ordinarily share with cast members, to make him aware that his bride was trans.
“The matching process entails a detailed interrogation of every participant’s preferences and none of these would be overlooked when deciding who to pair them with.”
The rep also responded to Nathanial’s claims that the welfare of contestants wasn’t a priority.
The statement added: “The welfare of all contributors on Married at First Sight UK is our top priority and we ensure that appropriate support is available to contributors at all times before, during and after filming – including 24/7 access to a member of the welfare team or psych support.
“The show is an unscripted reality series which follows real events as they naturally unfold, and is in no way scripted,” the statement concluded.
Read more: Real reason Ella and Nathanial are on MAFS UK?
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