Featured Image Credit: Channel 4
Topics: TV And Film, Married At First Sight, Channel 4, Sex and Relationships
Rhiannon Ingle
Topics: TV And Film, Married At First Sight, Channel 4, Sex and Relationships
Married At First Sight UK star Brad Skelly has been axed from the show.
The 27-year-old model from Grimsby was coupled up with performing arts teacher Shona Manderson, 31, from Nottingham on the hit Channel 4 reality dating show.
Brad has been booted off the programme after concerns over his 'unhealthy' behaviour towards Shona following an array of heated arguments between the pair.
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Viewers were left feeling extremely uncomfortable after seeing Shona being told to 'shut up' in a particularly tense episode of the latest series of Married at First Sight.
During the dinner party last Tuesday (3 October), Brad snapped at her in front of other couples at the table after becoming annoyed when she got upset that others felt their relationship wasn’t genuine, telling her he felt she needed 'external validation'.
"You need to let it go," he said.
But when Shona tried to cut in, he hit back saying: "Shut up! Shut up!"
Audiences tuning in at home were beyond stunned by the situation with some claiming that Brad’s behaviour was 'bullying'.
One wrote on X: "Brad showing his true colours as a manipulative bully tonight."
A second penned: "Controlling, bossy, bully - the real Brad is coming out. Shona tell him bye."
"Brad is gaslighting the absolute s**t out of Shona," commented a third, "this is painful."
After the episode aired, the couple both took to social media to address the backlash, with Brad claiming the clip shown didn’t reflect the full picture.
"That edit was difficult to watch," he said, adding: "Always remember you are only seeing snippets for drama. Try not to have an emotional resilience to a person you have never sat down and had a conversation with physically."
Shona also admitted the episode was 'hard to watch', but didn’t mention the editing - instead focusing on the support she’d received from fans.
"Thank you so much," she said. "Tonight was hard to watch. I'll get back to this in the morning. Love to you all."
A show source reportedly told The Sun: "The relationship with Shona was getting toxic.
"Bosses stepped in before the situation got out of hand."
A spokesperson for Channel 4 told Tyla: "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."
Tyla has reached out to Channel 4 for further comment.