EXCLUSIVE: Steven Springett, Bailey Smith and Dean Vary sat down ahead of the long-awaited Married At First Sight UK reunion and let’s just say, it’s going to be explosive
The boys of Married At First Sight UK are bracing themselves as the long-awaited reunion finally hits screens this Sunday – and let’s just say, it won’t be all hugs and happily-ever-afters.
Steven Springett, Bailey Smith and Dean Vary sat down ahead of the explosive episode and while some are excited for it to air, others would quite happily fast-forward the whole thing.
“Not me,” one of them laughed when asked who was looking forward to reliving it. But Steven admitted he is ready for viewers to see it unfold. “I’m looking forward to people learning the truth,” he said. “If the edit is just how it happened on the night, I’ll be happy.”
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Steven, 34, who was paired with Nelly, had one of the more fiery marriages of the series. Their wedding and honeymoon showed promise, with the pair initially getting on “like a house on fire”. But things quickly turned complicated once real life – and deeper feelings – crept in.
Looking back, Steven says compatibility and timing were major factors. He’s openly admitted there were things he could have handled better, particularly around reassurance and intimacy. “I said what I said,” he shrugged. “I can own that.” However, he wishes viewers had seen more of the good moments – especially the honeymoon connection – rather than feeling like he was constantly portrayed as the one pulling away.
Ahead of the first reunion, Steven revealed he had started EMDR therapy and went in prepared to apologise and take accountability for past behaviour. But when a second reunion was arranged, he chose not to attend. “I felt my story had ended,” he explained. “I’d moved on with my life. I was back to work, I was the happiest I’d been. I didn’t want to unravel that.”
Now in a much better place mentally, Steven is keeping his love life firmly out of the spotlight, saying he wants to protect those involved. He’s also working on a podcast focused on men’s mental health and co-parenting, after speaking candidly about the online backlash he received during the show’s broadcast. “Some days you laugh at it, some days it hits differently,” he admitted, particularly when comments involved his children. Therapy, he says, gave him the coping tools he needed.
Bailey, 36, who tied the knot with Rebecca, had what many viewers saw as an explosive start. The pair admitted from day one that they weren’t each other’s usual type, and their wedding didn’t exactly scream fairytale romance. But Bailey insists it wasn’t all doom and gloom.
“Honestly, we actually cruised through most of it,” he said. While there were arguments – some of which never made it to air – he described much of their time on the experiment as “plain sailing” until the tough conversations about distance and life outside the show began to creep in.
Was it doomed from the start? Bailey doesn’t think so. “I thought it might last a week,” he admitted. “But we ended up getting on really well.” Still, he teased that the reunion will clear up a few things he “didn’t know at the time” – hinting there are revelations to come that left him feeling a little “silly”.
As for regrets, Bailey says he has none. He enjoyed the experience, made strong friendships and feels he held himself to his own standards throughout. Now, he’s dipping his toe back into dating. “Early doors,” he smiled shyly. “But it’s going alright.”
Dean, 31, who was matched with Sarah, went into the reunion expecting closure and calm conversations. Instead, he walked into what he described as “a lot of thunderstorms”. With cast members arriving armed with unresolved issues and plenty to say, the atmosphere was anything but relaxed.
Still, Dean insists he has no regrets about taking part. In fact, he believes the experiment forced him to confront parts of himself he may have ignored for years. “Everyone comes out a better person,” he said. “They might not find the love of their life, but they find themselves.”
Now happily coupled up with a new girlfriend who “loves the rapping and all of that”, Dean is focusing on music projects and hopes to continue working in presenting. He also echoed the importance of the show highlighting men’s mental health, particularly during the reunion. “It’s important to show that men cry too,” he said. “It’s normal to talk.”
All three lads agreed that while reality TV editing can never show everything – with only a tiny percentage of footage making the final cut – they largely feel their portrayals were fair. Steven admitted he challenged the experts more than viewers saw, questioning why he felt he was given more “homework” than his partner at times. Bailey described his time on the couch as relatively smooth, often sitting back with “popcorn” watching the drama unfold around him.
But if there’s one thing they all agree on, it’s that the reunion is not to be missed. Describing it in just one word, the verdict ranged from “explosive” to “emotional” – with Dean calling it one of the toughest things he’s filmed.
With old wounds reopened, unanswered questions finally addressed and plenty of strong personalities back in one room, Sunday’s episode promises fireworks. Love may not have lasted for all of them – but the drama certainly has.
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