Married at First Sight UK is back, with the E4 show welcoming a new batch of brides and grooms to participate in TV's unconventional, life-changing and, let's face it, often regrettable experiment. Alex Henry is one of this year's recruits, hoping to find his perfect match courtesy of the resident experts: Mel Schilling, Paul C Brunson and Charlene Douglas. But it's not just his TV debut on MAFS UK that has put him in the spotlight, as Alex's alleged off-screen conduct away from the show has also been grabbing headlines.
Who is Alex Henry?
Alex is one of the grooms on this year's MAFS UK and has pinned hopes on the experts helping him discover where he's been going wrong with relationships. Described as 'focused' and 'driven', Alex is seeking a stable relationship after being single for seven months, and wants to drop his 'man about town' reputation. Alex is also keen to find someone to keep him on his toes who he can confidently bring home to his mum.
However, he ruffled feathers during the first episode of MAFS UK when he seemingly pondered swapping wives before meeting his match at the altar. Alex asked, 'What if I am not totally attracted to my wife? And there is another lady that I am attracted to?'
The comments caused a stir among the group, but Alex defended himself. 'You are coming into this and you have to consider every option, have you not? I’m not thinking about wife swapping, I haven’t even met her yet,' he argued.
How old is Alex Henry?
The new MAFS UK star is 28 years old.
What does Alex Henry do?
Alex works full-time in aviation operations but has the ambition to focus on fulfilling his dreams of becoming a professional boxer.
Has Alex Henry been to jail?
The day before MAFS UK aired, The Sun reported that Alex had spent time in military prison after leaving his post at the RAF to join the reality show.
According to the outlet, Alex had requested extra leave last winter to join MAFS UK, and despite it being refused, he left anyway. Alex's spokesperson said, 'He returned after filming of his own volition and handed himself into the military authorities. He was sentenced to 34 days in a military prison and served 24 as a model inmate.'
Where is Alex Henry from?
Alex is from Birmingham.
What is Alex Henry's Instagram?
You can follow Alex at alexander.henry_. While we can expect plenty of content from his time filming MAFS UK, his grid is currently littered with boxing and holiday snaps.
Alex Henry: Abuse claims explained
Ahead of the new season of MAFS UK, Alex faced allegations of abuse online once his promo reel was shared. A group of women are understood to have signed a petition requesting that Channel 4 reconsider airing Alex's scenes, and have allegedly presented evidence to the broadcaster. But per The Sun, Channel 4 has confirmed that Alex will remain in the edit.
Channel 4 has confirmed it has received 'a single allegation against a Married at First Sight UK 2024 contributor and we have responded directly to those who came to us with that allegation'.
In a statement it added that the 'welfare of our contributors is of paramount importance and, as such, we take all allegations of unacceptable behaviour seriously'.
It went on to say, 'Everyone taking part in MAFS UK undergoes a rigorous vetting process, involving a criminal record check and multiple psychological evaluations, before they can be cleared to take part.
'We cast contributors based on the information we are legally able to access, and we continue to review this process to ensure checks are as thorough as legally possible.'
Why do viewers want Alex Henry out of MAFS UK?
The petition for Alex to be axed from the show has gained traction over recent weeks, with over 2,200 signatures, after he was matched up with Holly. Viewers say they have spotted red flags in his behaviour, which include him talking about wife swapping in the very first episode and telling his new wife during the first commitment ceremony that he would have ghosted her if they had met in real life, away from the show.
When irate watchers called him out online, Alex put out a statement on Instagram. 'I think it’s important to be a strong man when you are with a woman who has a strong personality otherwise she will just walk all over you. MEN need to be MEN and it’s important that you stand your ground and you are heard in your relationship,' he wrote.
'If you allow her to dominate you, over time she might actually become unattracted to you because she will naturally start to take on roles that the man should be fulfilling. She may view you as weak and someone who doesn’t challenge her. Maybe that’s why they paired us together, because I’m not somebody that’s intimidated and will work through the rough edges with her.'
Domestic abuse charity Women's Aid have condemned his involvement in the show, calling his inclusion 'disappointing and concerning'.
'Having seen the direct impact of abusive behaviours displayed on the show in previous years on survivors, we would have hoped that protection and tolerance levels for abuse would leave no room for perpetrators to be given a platform again, with their actions being televised as "entertainment". Sadly, this decision demonstrates the lack of awareness that the production team still has when it comes to domestic abuse,' they said in a statement.
'At Women’s Aid we would urge the producers to reconsider how they approach this, for the sake of the contestants to whom they have a responsibility to protect; and to signal to survivors that the entertainment industry takes their experiences seriously.'
Millie Payne is a News and Entertainment Writer for Grazia. She has specialised in showbiz interviews, features, articles and roundups for over three years and loves combining her love for writing, talking and all things popular culture.