Two Married At First Sight brides not invited to be part of Christmas reunion special

Two Married At First Sight brides have been snubbed from the Christmas special, according to The Sun.

The popular reality TV show's latest UK series has wrapped up, but fans don't have long to wait until they get to see the couples reunited for a festive special.

However, there will be a few notable absences.

Channel 4

According to The Sun, brides Whitney Hughes and April Banbury weren't asked to take part.

The publication quoted an 'insider' as saying: "Many of the cast were surprised to learn that Whitney and April hadn't been asked to film the Christmas special - they expected them to be there.

"Not every participant from the 2021 and 2022 series was asked, but considering what key characters both of them were during the most recent run, there was lots of chatter on set about them not being involved."

Gemma Rose also won't be taking part due to issues with how the series was edited.

Gemma had a tough time of it with her partner Matt Murray, who was vocal about his dislike of her sexual innuendos.

The pair continued to lock horns throughout their relationship before Matt cheated on Gemma with fellow contestant Whitney Hughes.

The relationship between Matt and Whitney, who left her husband Duka Cavolli, proved controversial after they asked if they could re-enter the experiment as a couple.

The switch up was so serious that Married At First Sight expert Paul C Brunson revealed filming for the show was put on hold while they figured out what to do next.

But for Gemma - who is a hairdresser and business owner - it was the way she was made to come across that she wasn't happy with, and she previously took to Instagram to slam producers' 'unacceptable' editing.

In one clip, she said: "Storylines like this, the image they've created of me, ruins lives. It's not okay, I have two children and a business."

Gemma further explained the issues she had with her portrayal in a Q&A with the fans, saying: "I hold my hands up, I take my humour too far. BUT off camera HE WAS THE SAME."

She also wrote in an Instagram Story: "Have we learnt anything from Love Island. False versions of serious situations and changing the storyline so dramatically... RUINS LIVES."

Channel 4

Although Gemma was present for the two reunion specials which aired earlier this week, she won't be coming back for the Christmas special.

A rep for the reality TV star told the outlet: "Gemma was intending on attending the Christmas reunion as she was asked to be part of the cast.

"But after the show airing and seeing how they edited her she has since decided to not work with Channel 4 again."

A spokesperson for Channel 4 said of the previous editing backlash: "Married at First Sight UK episodes are carefully put together so that, while we cannot show every moment of scenes that can take hours to film, we ensure that what we do broadcast is a fair and accurate reflection of the events that unfolded."

Tyla has contacted Channel 4 for further comment.