Married At First Sight UK: Do couples get annulled or divorced?-Elizabeth Atkin-Entertainment – Metro

Pjay and Jess called time on their Married At First Sight UK courtship (Picture: E4)

Married At First Sight UK’s 2022 series saw strangers tie the knot after meeting for the first time at the altar.

It’s an experiment in true love and commitment – and it hasn’t gone smoothly so far for Pjay and Jess, Ritchie and Lara, with things not looking promising for new arrivals Gemma and Matt.

But in the cases where couples can’t make it work, what can they do after the show?

Do their television marriages qualify for annulment, or do they have to pay to get divorced?

Do Married At First Sight couples have to get legally divorced?

Though the Married At First Sight UK couples have committed themselves, they’re not technically married.

The glamorous weddings we saw on the TV series weren’t actually legally binding.

Because they’re not legally married, it would be impossible for them to get an annulment or a divorce.

If the MAFS couples decide not to make a go of their whirlwind romances – they can walk away without any legal issues or costs.

However, for couples who do get legally wed in the UK, there are only a few ways to officially end the marriage.

Divorce is the most obvious – for which couples need to be married for more than a year, and have an irretrievably broken down relationship.

Another option is an annulment, which is usually the case when a marriage is not legal.

Other reasons can make a marriage ‘void’, according to gov.uk, including:

Unconsummated marriagesForced marriagesIf your partner was pregnant by someone else during the marriageIf your partner gave you an STD during the marriageOne partner transitioning.

Unlike divorce, you can apply for annulment in the first year of your marriage.

The third option is to legally separate. On paper, you’re not together, but you’re not divorced.

This is an option for couples married less than a year, or who perhaps don’t want to divorce for religious reasons.

What about MAFS Australia and MAFS US?

MAFS Australia is extremely popular here in the UK (Picture: Channel 4)

Like the UK show, the Aussie couples don’t get married in the eyes of the law, either.

But interestingly, the American version of the show does require the couples to legally get hitched.

US Producer Chris Coelen told The Wrap that the Stateside couples can get divorced, but they won’t lose out too much financially.

‘There is a prenup that is built-in,’ he explained. ‘It’s a very short, brief prenup. It basically says what they walk in to [the marriage with], is what they walk out of the marriage with.’

Married at First Sight UK airs from Mondays to Thursdays at 9pm on E4 .

MORE : Do the Married at First Sight UK contestants get paid?

MORE : Married At First Sight UK’s Adrian teases new relationships as Whitney and Matt grow closer

MORE : Channel 4 insists Married At First Sight cast subject to ‘rigorous checks’ after George Roberts denies abuse allegations

Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Share your views in the comments below

Entertainment – MetroRead More