MAFS UK’s Paul C Brunson And Mel Schilling Address ‘False Information’ About Transgender Bride Ella

19 September 2023, 21:00

Paul Brunson & Mel Schilling reveal an exclusive on the new season of Married at First Sight 😍

MAFS UK’s dating experts responded to ‘false information’ around the show’s first transgender bride Ella.

Before Married at First Sight UK 2023 began, reports emerged around how Nathaniel was informed about his partner Ella's transition.

And when relationship experts Paul C Brunson and Mel Schilling stopped by the Capital studio to talk about the new show, they cleared up the false reports about how the situation was handled.

Producers behind the experiment informed Nathaniel about Ella's transition before he said ‘I do’, to get his consent before he walked down the aisle to meet his bride. Mel pointed out that their number one priority was Ella’s wellbeing.

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“The number one thing that was important for us was looking after her,” Mel explained, adding: “And then it’s about consent; we’re not in the business of surprising anyone.”

“He [Nathaniel] knew that he was marrying a trans woman,” Mel added.

Paul expanded: “Once you watch it you will understand how much care we’ve put into, not just Ella’s match, but everyone’s match.”

Ella made MAFS UK history as the first trans contestant on the social experiment, which Mel pointed out is imperative to the show staying reflective of today's society.

She said: “If that screen isn’t representative of the real world, then we’re not doing our jobs. For years reality TV has been criticised for being this heteronormative, white, middle-class representation. And that just gets boring, not everyone can relate to that.”

Ella and Nathaniel were one of the first few couples to say ‘I do’ on MAFS UK series 8, with Ella filling her husband in on her transition journey after the ceremony.

In the first episode, she broke down in tears as the brides discussed their families, admitting she finds it too emotional to talk about due to her transitional journey and how supportive her family are.

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