Married At First Sight UK is back for a brand new season – but are the marriages genuine?
Aaliyah Rugg Under 35s Screen Time reporter
16:10, 21 Sep 2025
The couples get married before getting to know each other properly on MAFS UK(Image: Channel 4)
The anticipation is mounting as a new season of Married At First Sight UK is set to return to E4 in just a few hours.
Promising more memorable moments, plenty of drama and unexpected twists, the new season will hit our screens on Sunday, 21 September at 9pm.
Previews have revealed everything from grand wedding entrances to a groom breaking into song during an awkward wedding party.
However, with the new season upon us, some viewers may be questioning whether the marriages are actually real, if they’re legally binding, and what happens if a couple decides to part ways during or after the show.
MAFS has been on telly for 10 years(Image: Channel 4)READ MORE: Married At First Sight UK return date as Channel 4 ‘make history’READ MORE: MAFS UK 2025 will see Scots ‘party girl’ with famous links tie the knotAre MAFS UK marriages legal?
The marriages that occur on MAFS UK aren’t legally binding, reports OK! Instead of making a legal vow, the couples make a commitment to each other – there’s no signing of a marriage licence involved.
As the show is considered a social experiment, it features a celebrant wedding. The Channel 4 programme follows the Australian format, where the strangers make a lifelong promise to each other, which differs from the US version.
Radio Times has reported that only the UK and Australian versions of the show feature marriages that aren’t legally binding.
Chris Coleen, the executive producer of MAFS US, stated about their show: “There is a prenup that is built in. It’s a very short, brief prenup.”
Some fans may be wondering if the marriages are real on MAFS UK(Image: Channel 4)
According to Grazia, Nikita Jasmine, a contestant from series six, also confirmed on her Instagram live with fans that it was “not a legally binding contract.”
This implies that if the couples choose to part ways, they can simply walk away without undergoing the divorce process. However, should they wish to solidify their union for the long haul, they would need to sign a marriage licence.
In the show’s early days, the marriages were legally binding and entirely genuine.
Abbie Playford from Samuel Phillips Law previously commented on the unofficial marriages on the show, stating that if the marriages were legally binding, all financial aspects would also be legally intertwined.
Married at First Sight UK Experts Pictured: (L-R) Mel Schilling, Paul C Brunson and Charlene Douglas(Image: Channel 4)
She further stated: “In the real world the couples would have to wait at least 12 months before either party could file for a divorce and would also need to obtain an order closing off any potential financial claims, as these do not automatically fall away on divorce.”
Over the years, fans have taken to Reddit to question the authenticity of the weddings. One viewer noted: “The first few seasons were legally binding I believe. It used to show each person at the registry office signing the marriage certificate before they got married.”
Another added: ” This leads to differing expectations for individuals: some people treat it like a marriage, with all the responsibilities that come with that, while others (understandably) treat it like an early-stage relationship. This conflict, never made explicit, is a source of much of the arguments and drama.”
With the new season kicking off, fresh brides and grooms are preparing to say “I do” to a total stranger. The question is, which couples will blossom and who will be embroiled in fiery disputes?
Married at First Sight UK begins tonight at 9pm on E4