A MAFS UK groom made two blunders on his wedding day, leaving stunned viewers claiming “this is a disaster”.
Nathan appeared on the E4 show tonight for the first time and within minutes left his bride in tears.
The 24-year-old was paired with Lacey, 27, on the marriage experiment show and they had a memorable day, but for all the wrong reasons.
Before they even met, Nathan got off on the wrong foot with Lacey’s family and friends, with his first blunder setting a very awkward tone for the big day.
His nerves seemed to get the better of him while waiting for Lacey to make her big entrace at the altar.
As is tradition, Lacey’s arrival was preceeded by her bridesmaids including her sister Paige.
When she glided up the aisle in a plunging pink dress Nathan turned around, and let out a huge gasp and a “wow”, believing that Paige was his bride.
Wedding guests quickly corrected him, but Nathan couldn’t take his eye off Paige.
When it was Lacey’s turn he looked disappointed, and could only muster up the compliment “you look nice”.
Rubbing salt into the wound, he then forgot Lacey’s name while saying their vows.
A tearful Lacey told the cameras that she wanted to feel “good enough”.
While it remains to be seen how the couple will recover, the wedding became one of the most talked about moments of the series so far.
One viewer raged: “There’s absolutely no way you can marry someone that said wow to your sister and told you, ‘you look nice’. It’s your sister he wants, not you!”
“Imagine the outright embarrassment of reacting like that to the sister, compared to your actual bride,” one viewer said.
Another said: “I’m no wedding expert but giving it the big coooooar at your brides sister is not a great start.”
At the reception, Lacey’s mum cornered Nathan, and said: “We have to address the elephant in the room. Nathan, what bride wears hot pink?”
Lacey also pulled him to one side at the end of the night to check that he hadn’t fancied her sister more.
Hee told her that he “froze” and added: “It wobbled me, it threw me a little bit.
“Maybe I’ve got a little bit of a barrier up. I’ve had one long term partner, she left and I went into a downward place.”
She replied: “That’s good to know, if you’ve got my back I’ve always got yours.”
Lacey added to the cameras: “From what I’ve seen today I’m still not one hundred per cent sure he is for me but I’m excited to see more.”
This isn’t the first dating show that Lacey has been on.
Mafs couples that have stood the test of time
Loved-up Tayah Victoria and Adam Aveling of series six fame had the first Mafs baby.
The pair couldn’t keep their hands off each other on the programme and quickly found their feet in the outside world, moving into Adam’s Doncaster home.
Just 18 months after meeting, the couple welcomed their daughter Beau.
Season five couple Michelle Walder and Owen Jenkins also managed to make their marriage work away from the cameras and had their first child in December.
Teacher Michelle, 29, has no regrets about taking part in the experiment. She told us: “I just feel very lucky and thankful that it has worked out – and excited for everything to come.”
Michelle and Owen were both sick of dating apps when they applied in 2019.
Owen recalled: “I had been out for some drinks with a friend after work.
“While he was out for a cigarette I was scrolling on Instagram waiting for him to come back in.
“The MAFS advert was the last thing I saw, and I joked, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if I signed up?’
“A few beers later when I was back at home I sent in the application, and the rest is history.”
Another couple to make Mafs UK history is Zoe Clifton and Jenna Robinson.
Despite a slight rocky start, where they clashed over Jenna’s vegan lifestyle, the show’s first same sex pairing are still going strong.
They even have a successful podcast together called Life With a Pod.
Jenna shed light on being involved in the show earlier this year when she told us: “We’re not legally married, and I never felt like we were. I definitely feel the process makes you take the relationship a lot more seriously and having the help of the experts… if you can survive that process it sets a firm foundation for a long-lasting relationship.”
