Would you trust a panel of relationship experts, and a team of TV producers, with matching you with your future husband/wife? For most of us, the answer is 'probably not, no'. But, even though the idea would be enough to make most people break out in a cold sweat, Married At First Sight UK had thousands of applicants this year, as it was announced the show would be revamped to match The Australian version we all loved in lockdown three.
And now the show has finally kicked off this week, some of those hopefuls are being matched and married, with every step being filmed for our entertainment. As on the Aussie series, though, it's clear not all of these matches are going to be harmonious. Of course, it wouldn't be a good TV show if everyone was happily married, planning their perfect future together - but most of those on the show apply because they would genuinely like a shot at finding a suitable long-term partner for them. The risk of applying is you might be deliberately mismatched for ratings.
On the show, the experts interview the potential candidates - and then match them up, or, as they say, lock them in. They speak about why each person's qualities would compliment each other, and why they think they'd work out (even if they clearly won't). Sometimes, they ignore some of the many demands people make - such as Nikita and Ant - believing that they can match people who grow to like each other, even if they're not as tanned/toned/have as good teeth as perhaps they'd like.
But on last night's episode, it was clear the experts had made a total oversight. Or, if they hadn't, it was completely sexist. Morag, a vet nurse, was matched with Luke, a firefighter. Yes, Morag wasn't sold on Luke's looks. But there was a far bigger, less shallow, problem than that. At their reception, Morag asked Luke if he wanted children - he manages a children's home - he said yes, and then asked her the same, to which she replied a confident no. Luke looked completely blindsided, and asked repeatedly if she wanted kids at all. In an on-camera interview, he said it was a major thing which upset him.
But Luke shouldn't be upset with Morag, as - of course - it isn't her fault. Surely a pair who have different thoughts on children shouldn't have been matched. It's not fair on either of them, but particularly Morag - as not wanting to have children, as a woman, still comes with a fair bit of stigma and head shaking.
Between them, it's likely the conversation is going to crop up again. And when it's something Morag specified that she didn't want in the first place, it seems sexist and deeply unfair that she feels like she has to justify why she doesn't want children on a national TV show. As one of Luke's friends said, it's difficult to see them lasting.
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