MARRIED At First Sight 2025 provided fans with yet another chaos-filled year.
The E4 hit dating show returned to screens back in September, with yet another host of promising brides and grooms looking for a shot at love.
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And over the last few weeks, as custom with any MAFS series, we’ve seen all the usual twists and turns that have led to huge rows and shock exits – along with massive scandals that completely rocked the cast.
Viewers first saw the arrival of brides Anita, Grace, Julia-Ruth, Leah, Leigh, Maeve, Nelly, Rebecca, and Sarah.
While the grooms were Ashley, Bailey, Davide, Dean, Divarni, Joe, Keye, Paul, and Steven.
They were later joined in the series by intruder brides Abi, April and Leisha, along with grooms John, Leo and Reiss.
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But which couples are still together, who failed to find love and who left the experiment with someone completely different?
Paul and Anita – split on show
Paul and Anita called it quits early on in the experiment after failing to build an emotional connectionCredit: E4
Paul, 60, and Anita, 54, were this year’s oldest couple to take part in the experiment, and they appeared to be well matched when they met down the aisle.
But it soon became clear that both were in completely different head spaces, with Anita seeking a deeper connection and feeling that Paul wasn’t engaged in the relationship, leading to a rocky honeymoon.
He eventually admitted that he was more focused on “finding himself”, and thanked Anita for a great experience as the pair decided to leave.
They became the first couple to leave the experiment this year.
Nelly and Steven – split on show
Nelly and Steven appeared promising at the start, but their relationship quickly broke downCredit: Channel 4
Nelly and Steven were initially fan favourites when they entered the experiment, enjoying both their wedding and honeymoon without any hiccups.
But things quickly deteriorated when they returned to the UK and moved into their apartment, with Nelly needing reassurances as Steven appeared to grow distant.
Things really took a head when Steven chose to go out for drinks with the group while a sick Nelly stayed at home alone – with the dinner party that followed revealing some inappropriate comments Steven made about a previous sexual encounter – revealed by Julia-Ruth.
While that wasn’t the final nail in the coffin, it set the tone for the remainder of the couple’s journey – with the pair finally parting ways after Steven’s Hinge profile was revealed by Nelly’s pal during home stays.
Abigail and John – seem loved up
Abi and John came into the experiment late, but managed to forge a very strong connectionCredit: Channel 4
Abigail and John joined the experiment later in the series, but quickly established themselves as one of the strongest couples in the experiment.
Both appeared to have an instant connection both at their wedding and honeymoon, and by the time they appeared at the first dinner party, they had some couples, including Sarah and Dean, fawning over their relationship.
The couple have only gotten stronger as the season went on, telling each other they love each other and declaring it in front of the group at the penultimate dinner party of the experiment.
Grace and Ashley – split on show
Grace and Ashley had been at logger heads since their honeymoon, and though they appeared to fix things briefly, their relationship ultimately broke downCredit: E4
Grace and Ashley had a tumultuous marriage throughout the experiment – with their differences becoming clear on the wedding day.
An excited Ashley was eager to get to know his wife Grace, while she appeared nervous at the thought of marrying a stranger.
Their honeymoon was equally as disastrous, with the couple butting heads over intentions behind comments made by Ashley – which became a running theme in their marriage.
The relationship seemed to improve, with the couple becoming intimate and attending dinner parties together, but the on-going issue behind Ashley’s traditional values and Grace’s feminist outlook saw things break down once again.
The doomed couple eventually called it quits ahead of the final commitment ceremony.
Leisha and Reiss – unknown
Leisha and Reiss had a rocky start to their marriage, but the pair patched things up and sailed through the latter parts of the experimentCredit: Channel 4
Leisha and Reiss appeared to be doomed from the moment they arrived at the alter, with the Scottish beauty quickly laying her cards on the table to the Essex hunk.
Reiss, who is the ex-boyfriend of TOWIE star Dani Imbert, described himself as a slow burner, and was quickly put off by her high energy and antics.
And things descended into chaos when Leisha got drunk on the flight back from their honeymoon and had a long chat with another man on-board the plane.
That detail was revealed during their first dinner party, which was frosty to say the least, leading the group to call out Leisha for her behaviour.
But the pair patched things up eventually, and entered Wife Swap Week and home stays as one of the strongest couples in the experiment.
During home stays, however, Leisha’s family raised doubts around Reiss’ intentions long term, while Reiss’ mum warned that Leisha’s talk of kids could push her son away.
Leigh and Leah – unknown
Leigh and Leah struggled through the initial phases of the experiment, but got stronger as the series went onCredit: E4
Leigh and Leah appeared to be a great match when they first set eyes on each other.
But as their wedding went on, Leigh revealed that she had expected to be matched up with someone more masculine than Leah – and their long-running issues continued from there.
The couple had their fair share of conflicts, with Leah struggling with Leigh’s difficulty opening up to her – while Leah’s flirty nature, particularly with new bride Leisha, became a cause for concern for Leigh.
The couple enjoyed the first part of their home stays in Liverpool, where Leah resides, but the pair got into a massive row during Leigh’s home stay in Essex, leaving their relationship in tatters.
April and Leo – split on show
April and Leo appeared to be another strong addition to the cast, sharing a quick spark on their wedding day, but things got rocky as the experiment went onCredit: E4
April and Leo arrived later in the show as part of three new couples who got married late in the experiment.
Things appeared to be rosy between the pair, who shared a mutual attraction, and quickly got intimate during their honeymoon.
But as they returned to normal life, April found it difficult to navigate Leo’s lack of emotional depth, while Leo appeared to be left largely in the dark about April’s concerns.
Meanwhile, April appeared more interested in other grooms, sharing her attraction to Ashley, and getting a bit too friendly with Steven during Wife Swap Week, admitting to him that she did not miss Leo.
Rebecca revealed to Leo during the Wife Swap Week that April had revealed that she doesn’t see things progressing – throwing their relationship into doubt.
Home stays also didn’t seem to provide comfort for either party, with both their family and friends telling the pair to call it quits.
They went their separate ways at the final commitment ceremony of the series.
Maeve and Joe – split on show
Maeve and Joe had a rollercoaster marriage, and it initially appeared their time on the show would end sooner than it didCredit: Channel 4
Maeve and Joe didn’t get off to a good start at their wedding, with the Geordie lass’ fun antics putting off reformed party boy Joe early on.
They went on to butt heads at their honeymoon, with Maeve dramatically walking off following a row between the pair during a dinner together.
However, the pair appeared to mend things as the show went on, and appeared to be one of the stronger couples in the group, with the pair getting intimate early on.
Joe even went as far as to say he loved Maeve during a commitment ceremony – but his affection quickly turned into doubts, which he aired to fellow groom Ashley.
Family troubles meant Joe was absent for a large part of the couple’s final days on the show together, but following a dramatic row during the couple’s retreat week, he left the show.
He did not return for the pair’s final commitment ceremony, with Maeve left to make the decision to write leave on her own.
Sarah and Dean – back on?
Sarah and Dean were doomed to fail in the experiment after Sarah expressed her lack of attraction to her hubby – but recent revelations have hinted at a reconciliationCredit: E4
Sarah and Dean were doomed from the start, after Sarah admitted at their wedding that she felt no attraction to Dean.
Ever hopeful, Dean remained enthusiastic about their prospects of a relationship together, which he documented in a rap he performed at their wedding reception.
The performance went down like a lead balloon for Sarah, who grew tired of Dean’s animated nature.
She eventually grew to care for him, but the attraction never blossomed on her side, and she made it clear to Dean – revealing in a confessional that he needed to “get some tattoos and lose some weight” if she had any chance of fancying him.
Sarah continued to follow that tune at the first dinner party, where she essentially embarrassed him in front of the group by making jokes at his expense – something the experts reprimanded her for in the commitment ceremony that followed.
This behaviour continued as Sarah flirted with a producer later in the series – causing a row between the pair.
Eventually, with the experts encouragement, the pair left the experiment, but The Sun revealed last month that the couple were spotted out together enjoying a drink in central London.
Could this mean the pair are back on?
Rebecca and Bailey – seem loved up
Rebecca and Bailey weren’t an instant hit, but their connection grew as the series went onCredit: E4
Rebecca and Bailey struggled through the initial stages of their marriage, after she declared she was looking for an alpha.
The couple had a difficult honeymoon, with Rebecca questioning how genuine Bailey was – who appeared to be a lovable rogue when he first appeared on-screen.
But the couple have gone from strength to strength as the experiment unfolded, with the pair getting intimate and Bailey quickly revealing his love for the Liverpool beauty.
The pair have been so strong in the experiment that they’ve even been a source of guidance to some of the struggling members of the group.
Bailey extended his support to Divarni and Nelly when the pair were struggling with their respective couples, while Rebecca offered guidance to Leo following his troubles with April.
But home stays highlighted the distance between the couple’s homes, with Bailey quickly declaring he couldn’t move from his area as he needed to be close to his daughter – piling pressure on Rebecca and leaving their relationship in doubt.
Divarni and Julia-Ruth – split on show
Julia-Ruth expressed her lack of attraction to Divarni early on, and made it clear to the rest of the groupCredit: Channel 4
Julia-Ruth and Divarni hit it off on their wedding day but things soon turned sour on the honeymoon as the bride revealed she felt no attraction to the musician.
The pair struggled to form a connection throughout, with Julia-Ruth open about how negative she felt Divarni was, which initially gained her sympathy from the group.
Viewers and co-stars alike were under the impression that the couple were making no ground whatsoever.
So it came as a huge shock when, after the couple’s retreat, an angered Divarni, who felt the group thought the pair’s marriage was a “joke”, admitted that they’d been intimate together.
The bombshell revelation tore the group apart, with many believing Julia-Ruth was using Divarni to further her screen time.
The group rift deepened after it was revealed Julia-Ruth fancied Steven and hoped to be paired up with him during Wife Swap Week.
The pair called it quits the week before Wife Swap Week though, after they failed to patch things up in their rocky relationship.
Keye and Davide – seem loved up
The couple remained firm fan favourites throughout the series, with many hoping they go the distanceCredit: Ellie Merridale / Channel 4
Keye and Davide have been one of the experiment’s strongest couples throughout.
The pair were smitten at their wedding, with things appearing promising for them.
And despite a hiccup during the honeymoon, which saw Davide urging Keye to tone down his jokey persona so they could bond emotionally, they patched things up and appeared attached from the hip throughout.
From intimacy week, to couple’s retreat, to wife swaps – the couple faced no significant bumps.
It was only when the pair took part in home stays that potential cracks between the pair began to show.
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Davide took Keye to a cat cafe, which went horribly wrong and saw the pair locked in their first significant row.
Despite spending the night apart, they came back together and had mended the issue by the final commitment ceremony.
