It happens every year on Married at First Sight these days; one couple is formed from two separate marriages, with a certain level of sneaking around and scandal surrounding the drama too.
In 2022’s UK series, it has been Whitney Hughes and Matt Murray that have filled this particular space, deciding to pursue a relationship despite originally being married to different people. This has made them one of the year’s most talked-about couples, dividing opinion among viewers – but are they still together now?
In case you need reminding, Whitney walked down the aisle – fairly reluctantly, it has to be said – to meet Duka Cavolli. The pair didn’t hit it off (probably an understatement) and their honeymoon went from bad to worse.
After a chat with the experts, Whitney decided to give things a little more time and she tried to open herself up more. After a heart-to-heart with Duka, things started to look up – for a while. But when she felt that her effort wasn’t being reciprocated on his end, she shut down and cut off the relationship.
Meanwhile, tattooed barber Matt entered the experiment and was paired with hairdresser Gemma Rose. It looked, for a moment, like a match made in heaven – that was, until Matt discovered Gemma’s sense of humour and started to pull back from some of her remarks.
Despite a few emotional conversations and heated arguments, the pair continued to try and commit to their marriage and see if things would improve. As this was happening, Matt and Whitney had also discovered that they had quite a bit in common, and that they got along really well following a few dinner-party conversations.
Related: MAFS UK couple announce split before final vows
After a few of the other contestants started to notice a vibe between them, it all came to a head during one particularly explosive get together. Gemma, unfortunately, had been unaware of the sparks between Matt and Whitney. Following a tearful confrontation with her husband and Whitney, Gemma retreated to the support of those closest to her (namely Thomas and Adrian).
With the cat out of the bag, Matt and Whitney escaped the group to meet on a bridge. It was there that they had their first kiss, sparking the start of their relationship.
After it was clearly over with their former partners, Whitney and Matt appealed to the experts and requested to re-enter the experiment as a couple in their own right – something which, unsurprisingly, did not go down well with the rest of the group.
As many of the others embarked on the home stay portion of the experiment, Whitney and Matt had a meeting with Mel Schilling, Paul Carrick Brunson and Charlene Douglas to make their case to stay.
After a telling off from the relationship experts, it was ultimately decided that they would be allowed to continue their journey on the show, as a “dating couple”.
Rocking up to the next dinner party hand-in-hand, they each defended their feelings for one another in front of a very divided group of fellow cast-mates.
As the show continued, it was later revealed that they had each told the other that they loved each other.
Perhaps one of the most unlikely couples to be so solid at the final vows stage of the show – mainly, because of how little time they had been together by comparison to the other couples – Whitney and Matt were going strong.
In the final ceremony, Whitney admitted she never thought she’d fall “so hard, so fast” but worried they hadn’t truly been tested as a couple.
“Time is one thing we haven’t had,” Whitney told him.
However, Whitney said she couldn’t shake off “this insane connection” she felt with Matt and wanted to support him through the loss of his mum.
“For the first time in my life, I’m running towards my feelings and not away from them,” she announced.
When it came time for Matt’s vows, he suggested fate brought their paths together and “when you know, you know”. The two left together.
But are they still together now? Unfortunately for those rooting for them, they arrived to the reunion dinner party separately.
Whitney revealed that “distance” played a huge part in why they were no longer together, while also noting that they both had a lot going on in their lives. The pair seemed to enjoy seeing one another again, and it looked as though there was still a lot of warmth and affection between them.
Whitney shared a photo on Instagram to announce the end of the show, while taking a moment to thank her former partner “for everything”.
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Meanwhile, Matt posted a caption that started: “Things don’t always work out the way we want and hope them to…”
He went on to share a hopeful message about continuing to wear his heart on his sleeve, before telling his followers: “You all deserve to love and be loved.”
You can read the full post here:
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The pair had previously been sharing a number of snaps with fans while the show was airing.
And of course, in a big move, it was previously revealed that Matt had got a special tattoo for the lady that he met on the show.
“So… this happened,” Whitney previously told her followers on Instagram, alongside a close-up image of the inking.
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Explaining the decision during an earlier final date episode, Matt told her: “When we were on a little mini break, I remember in the kitchen, I said: ‘I appreciate you’ and you said: ‘I appreciate you too’.”
Showing the dedication that he’d had transcribed on his leg, he explained: “We now have a little memory that is not going anywhere.”
Married at First Sight UK airs on E4 in the UK. Married at First Sight Australia airs on Nine Network in Australia and E4 in the UK.
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