Married At First Sight UK‘s Bailey has shared with Yahoo UK that filming the reunion with his ex Rebecca was “difficult” and “really emotional”.
Hitting back at cheating rumours, the MAFS groom said nothing could have prepared him for the untrue accusations that he faced, and he addressed his tricky decision to break up with Rebecca in July this year. Their TV marriages are not legally binding.
Additionally, he discussed his decision to share photographs of the couple outside of the experiment, just two days before announcing their split.
The MAFS UK reunion won’t air until February, but Bailey took us behind the scenes of filming alongside Rebecca again. “That was also difficult,” he said.
“I found it so weird. For me, filming was pretty much a breeze. I loved the experiment, didn’t struggle with anything really. But yeah, apart from nerves, you’re nervous a lot of time. [There was] no sadness really, when it comes to what was on the experiment. But yeah, afterward it’s just been hard.
“Hard to kind of navigate life without Bec. Hard to watch our love story back. And then also hard to film again with her. I found it really difficult, if I’m honest, really emotional.”
Filming the Married at First Sight UK reunion
Rebecca and Bailey walked out of the MAFS UK experiment as a couple. (Channel 4)
Reuniting with an ex-partner isn’t usual unless you have children. The Married at First Sight UK couples reunited in November, but only Abi and John are still together.
Bailey revealed how difficult it was seeing Rebecca while cameras were rolling.
He said: “Obviously, that’s like you definitely don’t meet up with them and talk about your feelings, you don’t watch your best moments. The thing is as well, I was just watching the show, I could just see in my face, I’m like, I remember exactly how I felt in that moment.
“I remember falling [for Rebecca]. I remember bursting at the seams, ready to say I loved her. You definitely don’t watch all those moments back, so that was, yeah, pretty difficult.”
Despite a rocky start on their wedding day, they hit it off as the couple were heading on their honeymoon. Bailey and Rebecca would become one of the strongest couples in the experiment.
Rebecca and Bailey’s relationship had a rocky start on the wedding day. (Channel 4)
Two days before sharing their break-up, Bailey had posted photographs of the couple in the outside world together after filming the experiment. The present day is about six months on from filming the original series of Married At First Sight UK.
“We did make a lot of memories in between filming finishing, and the reunion,” he said. “I just wanted people to see just how real it was and that we did have an amazing time. And we did try our best on the outside. And it wasn’t the show over and it ended.”
He added: “We went away twice, went on a couple of holidays, saw each other. I thought that was, yeah, nice way to show people that we gave it a go on the outside.”
Untrue cheating claims and no regrets
Rebecca responded to the untrue rumours that Bailey cheated on her. (Channel 4)
Talking about the rumours and speculation about his relationship on the show, Bailey said: “The other side of it is you get loads of accusations, ‘they’re fake’, and ‘they’re doing this’. It’s just for TV, and you’re like screaming. If I was acting, I should be in Hollywood. Those emotions were so raw and so real.
“You do get caught up in wanting to prove yourself to people, to just show them what the truth is. But like I said, it’s not that you can’t prove yourself to everyone, and everyone’s going to make their minds up.”
As well as accusations of fakery, Bailey has been hit with unfounded claims that he cheated on Rebecca. He said: “Oh god. That [the cheating rumours] was something I didn’t expect. Just from the start, I’ve had multiple different rumours that I cheated with multiple different people.
Bailey has reflected on Married At First Sight UK. (Channel 4)
“I had my ex. I had this person. I had that person. So that was something I wasn’t really ready for, and it was quite difficult because you can’t really speak on it. You release a statement, or whatever, but no, like, people just believe what they read. I struggled with that. It was something I didn’t expect.”
Regardless of his relationship coming to an end, Bailey has no regrets about taking part in the reunion or the show. He said, “I definitely had to think about it [taking part in the reunion] a lot more. I’m usually someone who dives in at the deep end. Yeah, I had to think about it, and I was like, ‘oh god… am I ready for this emotionally?’ But yeah, ultimately I did. I did it. I’m glad I did. I’m glad.”
As for MAFS, he said: “It’s something I’ll remember forever, an experience I’ll remember forever. I don’t have any regrets doing it. I don’t have nothing sad about the experiment for me when I look back at it, apart from the fact that it hasn’t worked out.
“So I had an amazing time, met some amazing friends, spent a lot of time with an amazing woman as well. No regrets, I think, no regrets.”
Was distance the reason for their split?
Rebecca and Bailey fell in love on Married at First Sight UK. (Channel 4)
Bailey left Married at First Sight UK thinking his relationship with Rebecca was for life. “I was ready for life,” he said.
He went on: “There was no doubt in my mind for a really long period that I wanted to spend my life with Beck. I had no doubts really going into the vows. There was a lot of worry and sadness about the distance. It was more we definitely want to be together, but this distance is feeling a bit impossible.”
Distance was a tear-jerking conversation on the show as Rebecca lives in Liverpool while Bailey lives in Hove, by his daughter, Bluebell, whom he shares with his ex, Lulu.
However, it wasn’t the reason behind their split. Bailey said, “Distance is always gonna be hard. It wasn’t the main thing, definitely not, but it doesn’t make things easy, does it? I don’t think, I don’t think.
“It’s hard to describe. It wasn’t the main issue, but it might [have] help[ed] being a bit closer.”
In fact, the couple had started plans on potentially moving somewhere in between both their locations before the split.
Although Bailey can’t share the main reason behind the split, he admitted, “I never fell out of love with Bec. I can definitely say that.”
Reliving Married At First Sight UK and dating again
Bailey is still looking for love after MAFS UK. (Channel. 4)
Watching Married at First Sight UK back was heartbreaking for Bailey. He said: “For me watching it back, it was not what I kind of… I was kind of looking forward to it at the time when we’re together, obviously.
“I would honestly describe it as like one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do. Because, even though ultimately it was my decision to end the relationship, I was so upset. I was still heartbroken. I still was in love with Beck. So watching you fall in love all over again was just really difficult.”
Bailey said it was made even more difficult as the experiment captured many highlights of their romance. He said: “Every time we came on it was just kind of sad if I’m honest.”
The MAFS UK groom hasn’t lost hope of finding love with his special person.
Asked about dating, said: “Even though it’s been quite a while, because it’s still so raw, because it’s been on TV, it makes it harder. I do want to find my person. I’m still the same person. I’m still looking for love.”
Stream Married At First Sight UK series 10 on Channel 4.