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Can’t get enough Married at First Sight? We have good news. Lifetime is adding another international version of the show to its lineup. Married at First Sight: UK premieres Feb. 23. Here’s what you need to know about the British take on the popular reality show before you watch. 

Season 7 of ‘Married at First Sight: UK’ will air on Lifetime 

Married at First Sight: UK might be new to most Lifetime viewers, but the show has been airing on the other side of the pond for a while. It premiered in 2015 and has aired seven seasons so far. The most recent season aired in the fall of 2022 on E4. 

As with other versions of the show, MAFS: UK features a panel of experts who match singles, who then marry without ever having met. For season 7, the experts are Paul C. Brunson, Mel Schilling, and Charlene Douglas. 

On his website, Brunson describes himself as a “real-life Hitch.” He hosted Lovetown, USA on OWN in 2012 and the British reality series Celebs Go Dating. Schilling, who has also appeared on Married at First Sight: Australia, is the author of The C Word (Confidence), which aims to teach people how to move beyond imposter syndrome in their relationships and career. Douglas is a London-based sex and relationship therapist who has also been featured on the E4 series The Sex Clinic. 

‘MAFS: UK’ is similar to ‘MAFS: Australia’ 

In its first five seasons, Married at First Sight: UK was similar to the U.S. version of the show. Every season, between four and eight singles got legally married to a total stranger. Cameras then followed each couple through a honeymoon and the first weeks of their marriage. At the end of the experiment, each couple had to decide whether to stay together or get divorced. 

Things changed in season 6, when producers tweaked the Married at First Sight: UK format to be more like the Australian version of the show. The show now features many more couples – eight in season 7. Instead of a legally binding marriage, they’ll participate in a commitment ceremony. Throughout the season, each couple will have the choice to either reaffirm their relationship during recurring commitment ceremonies or to exit the process early. Weekly dinner parties with all the couples also turn up the drama and tension among the cast.

Meet the ‘Married at First Sight: UK’ cast  

Side by side images of April Banbury from 'Married at First Sight: UK' and bride and groom wedding cake figures
[L-R] ‘Married at First Sight: UK’ cast member April Banbury; Bridge and groom wedding cake figures | Ricky Vigil M/GC Images; Jens Büttner/picture alliance via Getty Images

So, which brave singles will take the plunge and commit to a relationship with a stranger on Married at First Sight: UK? Let’s meet the season 7 cast. 

The grooms:  

  • Adrian, 37, is a digital designer from Manchester
  • Duka, 31, is a recruitment HR coordinator from Birmingham
  • George, 40, is a financial advisor from Worcester
  • Jordan, 29, is an account manager from Darlington 
  • Kwame, 42, is a business consultant from London 
  • Pjay, 31, is a dancer/performer from Birmingham
  • Richie, 51, is a sales advisor from Sheffield 
  • Thomas, 31, is a mental health care assistant from Liverpool

The brides: 

  • April, 32, a dress designer (and former Miss Great Britain) from London 
  • Chanita, 29, a social worker from Derby 
  • Jenna, 32, a zero waste shop owner from Blackpool
  • Jess, 31, a dental hygienist from Cambridgeshire
  • Kasia, 36, a businesswoman from London
  • Lara, 49, a waitress from Nottingham 
  • Whitney, 31, a PA from St. Albans
  • Zoe, 30, a quality surveyor from West Midlands

Married at First Sight: UK premieres Thursday, Feb. 23 at 9 p.m. ET on Lifetime.  

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