MAFS icon Emma Barnes: 'Our Queen Nelly needs to run from Steven after 'idiot' comment'

We’re onto week three of Married at First Sight UK, and the nation is locked in. This week, we saw two "love you’s" at the commitment ceremony, intruder couples arriving, Paul and Anita leaving the experiment, and some gruesome dinner party behaviour from Stephen.

Is three weeks too early to drop the “L bomb”? This experiment is an intense cauldron of emotions, spending 24 hours a day with a first date, whether you like them or not. The dinner parties and constant analysis of your feelings on camera will heighten everything you feel. This makes the best TV, but are these statements a love bombing waiting to happen?

What I love about Joe and Maeve is how little time it’s taken to break down their outside personas.

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Although a party girl wasn’t necessarily what Joe wanted, Maeve’s emotional intelligence has given him a ton of support, along with a side of laughter. Joe’s bad boy appearance is the complete opposite of his calm nature; he’s cheeky, gorgeous and kind to Maeve, which is something I feel she doesn’t get very often with men. I love them, didn’t see this coming, and really hope they make it.

There’s a rising theme in this cauldron pot that repeats every series - intimacy pressure between couples. I love that Leigh and Grace (like my ex husband) are standing their ground on what feels right for them, even if it’s uncomfortable.

I was on the other side of the coin; ready to relax and just try to see if sex brought a spark or some fun into a drained relationship.

I was told no chance by Caspar, (“how about a snog” was my way of an olive branch!) and after the next commitment ceremony Charlene turned up with some massage oils and melting hugs.

What I’ve learnt from my own experience and watching these couples is that consent is individual. Buying contraceptives (or taking away toys from Charlene’s cave) isn’t a form of consent, and saying no doesn’t make anyone a prude, closed off or not trying in the relationship.

What I’m loving to see is Ashley picking up a book on feminism, respecting Grace and respecting her different boundaries to perhaps his past relationships.

I don’t blame the show as we’re consistently reminded intimacy doesn’t have to go from 0-100, and as much as I hated the melting hug it might be a first start for these two…

Last week, I said if Stephen breaks Nelly’s heart he’ll have the nation to answer to, and in my opinion she needs to run, our queen is not an idiot. Super excited for the intruder couples.

I adore Abigail and John already and these two maybe the kindest natured couple ever seen on this show! However, spoiler alert (or fake news) My TikTok’s taken me to a rumour of a wife swap coming and I have ZERO idea who this could be… AHHHH!!!!

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