Matching hopeful romantics to say ‘I do’ sight unseen, Married At First Sight never fails to bring the chaos. And as the experiment nears its end following our final commitment ceremony, it seems this year might be the most dramatic yet.
Of the twelve couples originally matched, only five remain to face the ultimate reckoning: the vow renewal. At the recent commitment ceremony, two couples chose to walk away – with a third refusing to turn up at all.
That couple were midwife Grace and operations director Ashley, who came to blows while at a recent dinner party. Having accepted at the dinner that their marriage was over, the couple didn’t bother turning up to face the experts.
After they failed to appear, expert Mel Schilling gave an insight into why Grace and Ashley chose not to attend the final commitment ceremony. She explained to the couples, ‘Before we begin, you’ll all notice that Grace and Ashley are not with us today. They’ve had a rocky couple of weeks and as a result, felt they needed more time to reflect and won’t be joining us today.’
©Channel 4
Following their dinner party fallout, Grace took a swipe at her former husband on social media. She wrote, ‘There’s a half naked woman in front of me with a good body, what do you expect?” 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.’
Taking another brutal swipe at Ashley, Grace added, ‘Sponsored by Canesten Duo’ – referring to a treatment used to treat thrush.
What happened between Grace and Ashley on MAFS?
Grace and Ashley’s marriage took a turn for the worse during Wife Swap week, when Ashley realised he was ‘happier’ without Grace. Meanwhile, Grace described her husband as being ‘selfish’ for not wanting to work through their issues after he returned.
At the recent dinner party, Grace revealed that she ‘could no longer go on’ with their marriage, with Ashley leaving the dinner table. He later emotionally told producers, ‘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.’
Talking to cameras, Grace explained, ‘I think there was a time where Ash and I had something worth fighting for, but I just don’t think he’s listening. If I could have got through to Ash, if I could have helped Ash see where I’m coming from… I’m not convinced he will ever see my point of view. But I hope he’ll come close to it at some point.’
‘Maybe he could have been the one. There’s so much I love about Ash, that’s never changed. But I think it’s just too far gone now. It’s just beyond repair.’
Which couples quit MAFS at the final commitment ceremony?
Grace and Ashley weren’t the only couple to see their MAFS journey come to an end, with our commitment ceremony also marking the end of two other relationships.
Our first couple to quit was April and Leo, who both decided to leave the experiment. The pair had faced a tricky Home Stay week, with April struggling to connect with her husband. However, it seemed there was no bad blood between this couple. Announcing they were leaving, April gushed, ‘Genuinely Leo, you have been so lovely, and I’m thankful that I’ve been paired with someone that was so kind and caring.’
Nelly and Steven’s up-and-down relationship also came to a head at the commitment ceremony, after Steven was seemingly caught using the dating app Hinge. ‘I have decided to do what was best for me and leave,’ Nelly told the experts.
Despite having a rocky ride with cosmetic dentist Nelly, Steven’s reply was surprisingly emotional. He shared, ‘I am gutted that I haven’t been able to give you what you deserve and what you want. It has been challenging, but being introduced to you is a very big moment in my life in terms of impact.’
Tearing up, he added, ‘You’ve allowed me to be like this now, and you’ve brought this side out of me which I’ve had off for so long.’
When is the MAFS UK vow ceremony?
The final stretch is here, with the last episode of MAFS UK looming. The vow ceremony is said to be taking place on Sunday 23rd November, with the reunion following shortly after.
Charlotte Roberts is a writer at Grazia UK, specialising in SEO. She spends her days covering everything celebrity, culture, and entertainment – from film review roundups to cast explainers.
