MAFS UK: Viewers Recognise New Groom Mark From Another Dating Show

18 October 2023, 17:14

The latest groom to join the Married At First Sight experiment has been named as Mark Kiley - but eagle eyed viewers have remembered him from another dating show.

In 2017 Mark appeared on the long-running Channel 4 show, First Dates where he was paired with Junior. During the show, Mark opened up about his father, who died by suicide, saying “I’d give anything to see my dad again.”

Mark and Junior’s date appeared to go well. Mark seemed sweet and vulnerable and open to love while Junior was visibly moved by Mark’s revelations about his dad. The pair were also openly flirting with each other and when Junior spilled his drink on  his lap, MArk even offered to “pat him” dry.

Despite the obvious chemistry, Mark and Junior didn’t find true love with each other and went their separate ways soon after.

Since appearing on First Dates, Mark has undergone a dramatic transformation, losing more than five stone with the help of a personal trainer.

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Lovelorn Mark has now joined Married At First Sight as an ‘intruder’ groom with his husband Sean Malkin. The pair are one of four new couples that joined the show late to spice things up a bit. The other couples include Bianca and JJ, Adrienne and Matt, and Jordan and Erica.

Couple get emotional in MAFS UK admissions

Mark Opens Up About His Father's Suicide | First Dates

Mark is also not the only MAFS participant that has been on reality TV before. Five of this year’s cohort have been on screen before, including Nathanial who appeared on E4's Young, Free and Single, the Geordie Shore spin-off, Geordie Shore: Hot Single Summer in 2021 and Brad Skelly who appeared on Celebs Go Dating when he went out with Geordie Shore star Charlotte Crosby.

Mark’s wedding almost didn’t take place, after he panicked that he didn’t have the right shirt and refused to continue until the correct attire was found.

Things continued to look less than romantic for the newlyweds as Mark complained his groom Sean’s black suit wasn’t appropriate for what was meant to be a happy occasion. Mark joked: “Who has died?," before adding "We are just starting something new and you are wearing black."

Clothes weren’t the only thing Mark - a fashion store manager -  and his groom Sean didn’t see eye to eye on.

Mark was quick to let everyone know he was not happy with the match experts Mel Schilling, Paul Carrick Brunson and Charlene Douglas made for him. At the wedding reception he said: "This is not what I wanted, I just feel disappointment."

Sean, however, did feel a spark, saying “I'm obviously really attracted to Mark. I'm looking forward to getting to know each other.”

The getting to know each other process was also not smooth sailing as viewers quickly spotted that Mark lied about his age to his new groom, saying he was 26 - a whole 10 years younger. The truth came out during the dinner, when Mark admitted he lied because he “wasn’t where [he] thought [he] would be at 36.” The pair did seem to reconcile by the end of the episode and despite multiple signs pointing to disaster, they ended with a sweet kiss.

Will their marriage survive these shaky foundations? Only time will tell. Find out how and when to watch Married At First Sight,

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