When does Married At First Sight UK start? MAFS 2022 release date, and who is in the cast of new series

Reality TV show Married At First Sight UK has returned for a new season that will see eight couples thrown together by experts - but their first date will be their wedding day.

The show is like dating in reverse as it’s not until after the couples have exchanged vows in a ceremony in front of their family and fellow contestants that they really get the chance to know each other.

Each couple will set off on their luxury honeymoon, where they’ll gain some insight into who they have just married, before moving into a shared house where all 16 contestants will live.

Their relationships will be explored at weekly dinner parties and frequent commitment ceremonies, where the couples who don’t feel they are a good match have the opportunity to leave the show.

Experts Melanie Schilling, Paul C. Brunson, and Charlene Douglas will return to curate eight matches that they hope will be marriage material.

Who are the contestants on Married At First Sight UK season 7?

Adrian - 37, Digital Designer, Manchester

Adrian is a creative person who expresses himself through his fashion and likes to take time making sure he looks good.

He loves socialising on a night out, hosting dinner parties and movie nights at home.

After spending the last three years in the dating scene Adrian says he is ready to settle down, and is looking for an upbeat and adventurous partner who’ll make him laugh and be someone he can trust.

Duka - 31, Recruitment HR Coordinator, Birmingham

Duka’s family fled what was Yugoslavia to escape conflict and he has lived in the UK since he was 10 years old.

He says that he struggled when he moved to the UK as he did speak any English and was bullied, and believes this has affected him as an adult as he doesn’t often let people get close to him.

Duka wants to find an ‘Instagram girl’ that loves looking after herself, but who he can also speak to about deeper issues, like global affairs.

George - 40, Financial Advisor, Worcester

George is a dad of four - his two eldest children live with him while his youngest live with their mother.

He has not had success in finding the right woman to share his life with since his divorce from his wife, and is hoping that he can find the one on the show.

George wants to be in a relationship that excites him and with someone that he can be open with emotionally.

Jordan - 29, Account Manager, Darlington

Jordan is outgoing and spontaneous and believes that he is a great catch - but he says that he’s too particular about what he wants.

He’s hoping to find a real connection, and hopefully true love, so that he can settle down.

He thinks that going into the show, he needs to be prepared to relax more and give women more of a chance before deciding if they are right for him or not.

Kwame - 42, Business Consultant, London

Kwame is confident, stylish and well travelled - with a successful career to boot. He has been married before and has children.

Kwame says he lacked confidence growing up because of his looks, but once he went to college and bulked up this changed, and now he would call himself a ladies man.

He won Mr Ghana in 2000, and is hoping that the wife he meets on the show will also find him appealing.

Pjay - 31, Business Consultant, London

Pjay is part of the famous male striptease company, Dreamboys, although he says that his job has prevented him from finding the right woman.

He believes that working in an environment where thousands of women are screaming at you as you take your kit off does generally foster trust in his relationships.

Pjay says that he is very close to his mum and sister, and that his future wife will need to have the approval of his mum.

Richie - 50, Sales Advisor, Sheffield

Richie spent more than 20 years working in the music industry, most of it on the road, and has worked with English tenor Russell Watson.

He has also worked with the American singer Sheryl Crow, though he admits he wasn’t able to get her number.

He says that he is a deep, emotional, clevel, and socially intelligent person, but is also a good laugh.

Thomas - 31, Mental Health Care Assistant, Liverpool

Thomas says he loves being the centre of attention and always has - he is loud, sarcastic, and unlikely to back down from an argument.

He thinks his worst nightmare would be to be described as nice.

Thomas is looking for a partner who could take the edge off his behaviour and help to balance him out.

April - 32, Dress designer, London

April has worked on designing scores of wedding dresses over her career, but has never got to wear one down the aisle herself.

She has taken part in several Miss GB beauty pageants, coming second in the first two, but returning again and winning the third time.

April wants someone who is comfortable with her being independent and who wants to live life to its fullest with her - also, they have to love cheese.

Chanita - 29, Social Worker, Derby

Chanita has dedicated her life to her job as a social worker and says she is a naturally caring and protective person.

She makes friends wherever she goes and is always checking in on them to make sure they’re all okay.

Chanita came out of a ten-year relationship two years ago and is now ready to find her future partner who she can embark on the next part of her life with.

Jenna - 32, Zero Waste Shop Owner, Blackpool

Jenna is a small business owner who never saw herself getting married - she didn’t jibe with the traditional concept of marriage and doesn’t like the idea that the woman traditionally takes the man’s name.

However, more recently she’s come around to the idea of marriage and says that she wants to commit to someone.

On the show she is hoping to find love and someone with whom she can build a long life together.

Jess - 31, Dental Hygienist, Cambridgeshire

Jess describes herself as unique, weird, but extremely fun and outgoing, and believes that the key ingredient to life is laughter and enjoying herself.

She is an open book, if she is annoyed with someone she won’t hide it, and if she wants to do something, she will do it without hesitation.

Jess says that she’s not afraid to look silly and her future partner would have to have the same energy and lack of inhibitions as her.

Kasia - 36 Businesswoman, London

Kasia left school aged 16 to have her first child, and has since launched a successful business and had another child.

Her appearance is very important to her, and she loves makeup and making herself look the best that she can.

With her children grown up, Kasia wants to spend some time focused on her own needs, and is looking for a partner she can settle down with for the long haul.

Lara - 49, Waitress, Nottingham

Lara is an ex-dancer originally from Canada who has had a fairly indulgent lifestyle, once flying from Japan to New York for dinner.

She has been married and divorced twice and has two sons, but has been single for the last 12 years.

Lara’s relationship role models are her parents who have been married for 51 years and are one another’s best friend, and she wants her next relationship to be like theirs.

Whitney - 31, PA, St Albans

Whitney says that she isn’t short of male attention but is very picky when it comes to finding a man to commit to.

She has dated guys before, but never found anyone that she would want to bring home to meet her family.

Whitney is now ready to let the experts take over for her and hopefully find her a match that ticks all of her boxes.

Zoe - 30, Quantity Surveyor, West Midlands

Zoe is a successful professional who works hard and plays even harder.

She is tired of the dating scene and is now looking for something long term, with a view to starting a family.

She describes herself as dominant and assertive but is looking for a genuine connection, and someone she can share her softer, more intimate side with.

Are the weddings real?

No, despite the show’s title, the weddings you see at the start of each series are not legally binding.

This is almost certainly a good thing, as the brides and grooms know almost nothing about each other at that stage of the show.

For a wedding to be legal in the UK, a marriage licence is needed, and couples in the show do not sign one.

Instead, the couples make a verbal commitment to each other, rather than an official, legally binding one.

In the American version of the show, the weddings are reportedly legal - though they all enter them with a standard prenup in place, which has come in handy as several divorces typically follow each season of the show.

When is Married At First Sight UK season 7 on TV?

Season seven of Married At First Sight is set to premiere on E4 in the UK this month.

The sixth season of the show aired Tuesdays-Thursdays at 9pm and began airing in late August 2021.

While no official start date has yet been confirmed, it is likely that the series will begin airing in the next couple of weeks.

Season seven will also be longer than previous seasons, with 30 episodes in total.

Watch this space for further updates on the release date of Married At First Sight season seven.

Follow us on Twitter @nationalworldTV for updates on TV and streaming news: https://twitter.com/NationalWorldTV