Everything you need to know about this year's Married At First Sight UK couples

The addictive reality show is back - with a twist. Here are the show's contestants who we'll be getting to know very well over the coming weeks...

Married At First Sight UK has returned to our screens, and you're probably already totally hooked. If you were one of the many who got through lockdown 1.0 and lockdown 2.0 with a steady daily dose of watching the drama unfold on Married At First Sight Australia, then you were no doubt beyond excited at the news that the new MAFS UK series has been shaken up to look a lot more like the Aussie version.

Here's everything you need to know about the E4 reality show that's become a wonderfully regular fixture over the course of September...

What is the new series of Married At First Sight UK like?

If you’re not yet familiar with the concept of MAFS, the first thing you should know is that there is zero dating involved. Willing singles are matched up by experts - Married at First Sight Australia's Melanie Schilling, Celebs Go Dating's Paul C. Brunson, and Sex and Relationship Therapist Charlene Douglas - after tests, interviews and personality questionnaires. Then, they meet for the first time on their wedding day.

While in previous years on Married At First Sight UK couples would sign a legally binding contract, meaning they were very much officially married, producers have changed things up to look a little more like the Australian version of the show this time around. In the most recent series, the couples walked down the aisle and made a lifelong commitment to their new life partner during a glamorous (but not legal) ceremony. Don't worry, there were still wedding dresses, bridesmaids, speeches and a wedding celebrant involved. Because we all know that's the best bit.

After their 'wedding' ceremonies were over, each of the eight couples were sent away on a luxurious honeymoon, before returning to the UK where they moved in not just with each other - but also their fellow couples. Cue. The. Drama.

Each week, the newlyweds attend (hopefully) explosive dinner parties to compare notes and bond over their shared experience of the out-of-the-ordinary experiment. They also have weekly commitment ceremonies, during which they choose whether they want to stay or leave the show.

At the end of the experiment, the remaining couples will attend a vow renewal ceremony where they must decide if they want to recommit to their partner or go their separate ways. Yup, we told you it was going to be good.

When does Married At First UK 2021 start?

Er, what do you mean?! It's already started! MAFS UK hit our screens for the first time on E4 at 9pm on Monday, 30 August 2021 and is running for 21 episodes, airing every weeknight. If you've missed the first few weeks, there's no need to worry, all the episodes are available to watch on All4.

Who are the contestants lined up for Married At First Sight UK this year?

There were sixteen contestants in MAFS UK 2021 to begin with, and the show also made history by welcoming its first gay couple into the experiment. These are the nine men and seven women who we've grown to know very well recently:

MAFS UK: Adam

Age: 26

From: Doncaster

Job: Electrician

Paired with: Tayah

Honeymoon destination: Antigua

He says: "Forcing myself into the situation where I have to be with someone – I’m only going to take positives from it. Hopefully I’ll find the right one."

MAFS UK: Ant

Age: 28

From: Manchester

Job: Business Development

Paired with: Nikita

Honeymoon destination: Mexico

He says: "The best that could happen is that the experts find me a match and it works out perfectly and find our happily ever after. The worst case is it doesn’t work out and I make some new friends and I learn a bit about myself as a person."

MAFS UK: Daniel

Age: 27

From: Northern Ireland

Job: Sales

Paired with: Matt, in the show's first same-sex couple

Honeymoon destination: Mexico

He says: "Married At First Sight UK is a big experience and quite nerve racking in many ways, however it is something that will allow me to shift my pattern in terms of relationships and it is a blessing to have the professional and scientific advice that will help me."

MAFS UK: Robert

Age: 26

From: Dorset

Job: Business Protection Specialist

Paired with: Megan

Honeymoon destination: Dominican Republic

He says: "I want to have fun all the time, so I want someone who wants to go out and do things. Someone who is on my wavelength with how I look at life."

MAFS UK: Franky

Age: 47

From: Dubai

Job: Strength and Conditioning Coach

Paired with: Marilyse

Honeymoon destination: Lake District

He says: "All my life has been about challenges. I don’t like to do the normal. If anything is normal then I find it boring. I’m not captured unless I’m entertained and challenged - and Married At First Sight UK is a bloody big challenge."

MAFS UK: Matt

Age: 39

From: West Yorkshire

Job: Charity Worker

Paired with: Daniel

Honeymoon destination: Mexico

He says: "The reason I’ve come onto the show is because I’m really wanting to meet that special person that I can start building a life with and have a family. I’m really excited."

MAFS UK: Jordon

Age: 27

From: Cardiff

Job: Personal Trainer

Paired with: Alexis

Honeymoon destination: Maldives

He says: "My happily ever after would be to learn stuff about myself that I didn’t know before. I want to become stronger as a person and to obviously walk away with a partner and with some new friends."

MAFS UK: Luke

Age: 36

From: Cardiff

Job: Care Home Manager and Fireman

Paired with: Morag

Honeymoon destination: Switzerland

He says: "I already have more in common with this person than I would do meeting them on dating apps or in the pub. Because they’ve done the same thing, they must be in a similar circumstance to me."

MAFS UK: Joshua

Age: 26

From: West London

Job: Insurance

Paired with: Amy

Honeymoon destination: Mexico

He says: "I think marriage has always been on my cards, but I could never see myself getting on one knee, so this is a fast track! Sometimes I need to be kicked into the deep end so for me this is the start of a new chapter."

MAFS UK: Megan

Age: 26

From: Stoke

Job: Wellness Coach

Paired with: Robert, AKA Bob

Honeymoon destination: Dominican Republic

She says: "My dating history is horrendous, I have terrible taste. Of course, it is a good option to get someone to do it for me. It just felt like an opportunity I couldn’t miss. Each step of the way has felt more and more right."

MAFS UK: Amy

Age: 34

From: Cornwall

Job: Sports Journalist

Paired with: Joshua

Honeymoon destination: Mexico

She says: "With Married At First Sight UK, either I’m going to find the love of my life or I’m going to learn a really big lesson from it, which might lead me to the love of my life."

MAFS UK: Marilyse

Age: 37

From: Yorkshire

Job: Personal Trainer

Paired with: Franky

Honeymoon destination: Lake District

She says: "I would love to go through to the experiment to the very end and still be with the guy. That is what I want to happen and what I expect to happen. I will be a bit disappointed if it doesn’t happen, but we’ll have to wait and see."

MAFS UK: Nikita

Age: 26

From: County Durham

Job: Sales

Paired with: Ant

Honeymoon destination: Mexico

She says: "Ideally, we all want our Prince Charming who we are going to be with until the day we die. I just think that if I meet someone who blows me away and we’re on the same wavelength and have proper banter it will be great."

MAFS UK: Morag

Age: 31

From: Essex

Job: Veterinary Nurse

Paired with: Luke

Honeymoon destination: Switzerland

She says: "I want the experts to help because I’ve got high expectations of myself and what I want from my partner. I want them to help me open up and let someone in."

MAFS UK: Alexis

Age: 28

From: London

Job: Model

Paired with: TBC! At the time of writing, Alexis' wedding is yet to be aired

Honeymoon destination: Maldives

She says: "I’ve applied to this to find the good guy, to find someone genuine and someone who wants commitment. I give my all and I’m very supportive. I’m looking for someone on my wavelength and I want someone who is going to take the reins a little bit."

MAFS UK: Tayah

Age: 25

From: Welwyn Garden City

Job: Estate Agent

Paired with: TBC! At the time of writing, Tayah's wedding is yet to be aired

Honeymoon destination: Antigua

She says: "My happy ever after would be that I’ve always wanted to get married and wanted kids. I’ve always wanted to be a young mum. My end goal is to have that family and have that family unit. So that would be an ideal situation to come from this."