MAFS UK star booted from show over 'unhealthy' relationship with wife
Married At First Sight UK star Brad Skelly has been axed from the show after concerns over 'unhealthy' behaviour.
The 27-year-old model from Grimsby was paired with performing arts teacher Shona Manderson, 31, from Nottingham on the E4 show. But while the couple started off strong and almost immediately declared their love for each other, things quickly turned sour.
Viewers watched as Shona broke down in tears after discovering Brad had revealed intimate details about their sex life to their fellow contestants and branded her “emotionally immature” because she had a dog, while he was a father to an eight-year-old son.
He was also pulled up by the show’s dating experts for the language he used towards his wife, which included ‘allowing’ Shona to do things – saying at one point: “If I allow her to get angry, is she ever going to learn?”
But things really hit the fan when Brad told his new wife to repeatedly shut up during a dinner party in front of other cast members, prompting experts Paul, Mel and Charlene to intervene.
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Brad's behaviour has been slammed by viewers (E4)The dating experts are set to tell Brad and Shona they have to leave the show in scenes yet to be aired, over concerns of an 'unhealthy' relationship developing between the pair. A spokesman for Channel 4 told the Mirror: "The couple’s exit plays out in the show. It was agreed alongside experts Paul, Mel and Charlene that the intensive Married at First Sight environment was not working for the couple and it was the right time to leave the experiment.
"The relationships on Married at First Sight UK are closely monitored off screen, by production and an independent psychologist. If any of the relationships develop in a way that is deemed to be potentially unhealthy for either party, we would take expert psychological advice as to whether it was time for them to leave the process.
"The welfare of all contributors on Married at First Sight UK is our top priority and we ensure that appropriate support is available to contributors at all times during filming, including 24/7 access to a member of the welfare team or psych support."
Shona, who filmed the show months ago, has since told fans she was so "infatuated" with Brad at the time she couldn’t see what was happening before her eyes. It is only now when she watches the "uncomfortable" scenes back that she realises how vulnerable she was.
Shona was upset after Brad repeatedly told her to shut up at the dinner party (E4)In a lengthy Instagram post last week, she explained: "The last two nights have been hard to watch and I know tonight will be even trickier. I’m aware of the insecurities I have. This experiment really bought them to the surface."
Talking about the now infamous moment Brad told her to shut up at the dinner table, she said: "I was completely infatuated in that relationship, I got lost and in trying to defend us as a couple I was silenced. I don’t even remember that happening. It’s difficult to see what everyone else could see and what you are watching play out now.
"I could honestly write so much as there are so many factors involved with what goes down within our pairing, a lot of things which happen off camera and things that aren’t aired.. the good and the ugly. Most importantly I need to remember how far I’ve come since then. I’ve truly learnt so much on this journey, it’s been a huge lesson for me and it actually has been a very, very happy ending."
Shona finished off her lengthy post by writing: "You grow through what you go through and never again will I put up with this behaviour. Finally, thank you for your support and kind words it means so, so much."
Her statement comes after Women's Aid praised the Married At First Sight experts for intervening and holding Brad accountable. In a statement, they said: "It is really important that the experts on the show called this out as controlling behaviour and challenged Brad's view that it was acceptable to say that he had the right to 'allow' Shona to be angry.
"TV programmes like these, which are based on the formation of relationships, need to be aware of the dynamics of controlling and coercive behaviour, and always send a clear message that it is wholly unacceptable."
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Brad has since admitted it was "difficult to watch" the scenes back, but claimed the full edit had not been shown. In a social media post, he said: "Always remember you are only seeing snippets for drama. Try not to have an emotional resilience to a person you have never say down and had a conversation with physically."
*Married At First Sight UK continues on E4 tonight at 9pm or catch up on 4 On Demand
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