Married At First Sight UK cast come to blows in furious row just minutes into first episode

Married At First Sight UK made a dramatic comeback on E4 on Monday, 16 September, with the series launch quickly heating up as the grooms clashed over a contentious 'wife swap' remark mere minutes into the first episode.

Before even laying eyes on his new bride, Alex sparked outrage among the other participants by mulling over what he'd do if he didn't fancy his match but fancied another man's wife during the experiment. The suggestion didn't sit well with the rest of the group and backstage tensions soared.

Newly single for seven months, Alex, 28, provocatively asked: "What if I am not totally attracted to my wife? And there is another lady that I am attracted to?"

Kieran, one of the fellow grooms, sharply retorted: "Come in with your wife and if you are going to leave, don't leave with someone else's wife. Wife swapping shouldn't even be coming into someone's head right now."

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"That thought of arriving at this adventure considering nicking another bloke's missus is just bonkers," Caspar chimed in, clearly riled up by the notion, reports OK!.

Alex maintained: "You are coming into this and you have to consider every option, have you not? I'm not thinking about wife swapping, I haven't even met her yet. I haven't even met my wife yet, and everyone is getting on to me like I am going to go and take someone else's wife."

Viewers at home were having none of it when Alex made an off-colour remark about wife-swapping, sparking a reaction on Twitter. One viewer tweeted: "Talking about wife swap when you're not even married yet is crazy," and another echoed the sentiment saying: "Been on the show for 0.5 seconds and thinking about wife swap, keep those thoughts in your head at least? ? ? ?"

The tension-filled debut of MAFS UK follows a tease from relationships maestro Paul C. Brunson about this year's lineup being "incredible".

Discussing MAFS UK 2024 during its ritzy Tuesday premiere, Paul spilled: "The cast is incredible. They've been on a journey and I believe this is the strongest and it could be the most exciting series yet."

Charlene, sharing the excitement, hinted: "It's one of E4's biggest shows and we're so proud of the brides and the grooms. There's lots of drama, lots of passion, lots of sexy moments and we know you guys are going to be on the edge of your seat as you watch the couples journey and our journey as well."