A shocking revelation has rocked Married At First Sight UK, as groom Divarni Balogun has been spotted on a dating app, despite still being married to his on-screen wife, Julia-Ruth Smith. The couple, who tied the knot on the E4 reality show, has faced a tumultuous relationship from the start, and this latest bombshell suggests their marriage may be on the brink of collapse.
A TikTok user ignited the controversy by sharing a screenshot of Divarni’s verified dating profile on Hinge, complete with his name and photo. The user captioned the image, “Things didn’t work out with Julia-Ruth then…” The post quickly went viral, prompting an outpouring of reactions from fans in the comments section.
One viewer called Divarni’s move “diabolical,” pointing out the audacity of returning to a dating app before the show had even finished airing. Another sarcastically remarked, “What a surprise after the past few episodes. I am so shocked.” A third fan expressed frustration, stating, “Channel 4 should be p****d about this. Huge spoiler.” Some speculated that Divarni’s actions might breach the show’s non-disclosure agreement (NDA), with one user commenting, “I’m sure this is in breach of the NDA somehow.”
However, not all reactions were negative. Some fans showed sympathy for Divarni, with one writing, “Bless him, he deserves way more,” and another adding, “He’s lovely, I really feel for him and how she’s treated him.”
In response to the uproar, a representative for Divarni clarified to The Sun: “Divarni had signed up to the dating site before he signed up to the show. He was not active on the site for the duration of filming. He came onto the show to find love. Viewers will see how his marriage to Julia-Ruth plays out on screen.”
Divarni and Julia-Ruth’s relationship has been fraught with challenges since their wedding day. Tensions escalated when Julia-Ruth falsely claimed to their co-stars and the show’s dating experts that the couple had been intimate. This led to a heated argument, with Julia-Ruth criticizing Divarni’s performance in the bedroom, further straining their bond.
The drama intensified during Sunday night’s episode when fellow groom Bailey Smith revealed a bombshell to Divarni. Bailey recounted a conversation where Julia-Ruth admitted to the other brides that she didn’t fancy Divarni and never would. “She said, ‘I’ve told that boy ten times, I don’t fancy him. I’ve told him I don’t fancy him,’” Bailey disclosed. He added, “She said to the girls that she doesn’t think you’re her type. She said she doesn’t think you’ll ever be her type.”
Confronting Julia-Ruth, Divarni expressed his frustration, saying, “This is making me look like I’m some delusional guy. That’s a slap in the face because we both know the truth. I don’t care whether people know we have sex or not, you do. If you’re embarrassed by me, say it with your chest.” Julia-Ruth responded defensively, admitting, “I’ve said it before, I’ve said we’ve had attraction issues.”
The drama reached a boiling point during Tuesday’s Commitment Ceremony, when Julia-Ruth found herself at odds with fellow bride Nelly Patel. Nelly exposed Julia-Ruth’s comments from a previous dinner party, where she admitted to “fancying” Nelly’s husband, Steven Springett. Nelly revealed that Julia-Ruth had expressed a desire to “husband swap” with Steven, stating, “It’s transpired that after last week’s commitment ceremony, Julia-Ruth had met some people from the group and said that she’d really fancied Steven and that she needs to stay [on MAFS] for two more weeks because she hopes she gets him for partner swap.”
Julia-Ruth attempted to defend herself, saying, “I haven’t had more than six conversations with Steven. The honesty box came up and I answered it, so, OK, fine, I dug myself a grave, but, like, it’s…please, like, I can’t do this anymore. OK. That’s fair. It’s just not f***ing fair.”
As the scandal unfolds, fans are left questioning the future of Divarni and Julia-Ruth’s marriage. With trust issues, public confrontations, and now a dating app controversy, the couple’s journey on Married At First Sight UK appears to be hanging by a thread. Viewers will need to tune in to see whether their relationship can survive the mounting drama or if this latest revelation marks the end of their televised romance.