We were set up to fail on Married at First Sight – watching ourselves gave us anxiety… but fake couple hogged limelight | The Sun

THERE weren’t many success stories from this year’s series of Married At First Sight UK.

But one of the three that made it to the end, and who are still together now, is Erica Roberts, 25, and Jordan Gayle, 26.

It was love at first sight for the pair, who’d never met before they tied the knot earlier this year.

But while their romance looked rock solid from the off, their relationships with the other couples in the experiment were far from it.

Erica and Tasha Jay clashed from the moment she and Jordan walked in as latecomers, with Tasha claiming Erica thought she was “better than everyone”.

Meanwhile Luke Worley got kicked off the show for coming into Jordan and Erica’s flat and starting a fist fight.

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Now, with the show airing six months after it was actually filmed, Erica and Jordan tell us they "hated" watching it back, as it gave them both severe anxiety.

In an exclusive interview, Jordan says: “The living experience was perfect, it couldn't have been any better, but watching it on TV, we hated it. 

“The edited version was just not an accurate representation. It's just not how we remember it, so it was just a shame really.”

Erica agrees: “I just think the edit portrayed us in a way that wasn't very accurate.

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"I get they have to have a narrative for everyone, and there has to be a story, and people have to have a journey to follow, but I guess what you see on the show is that we come in as intruders and stir the pot.

“People were literally asking if we were planted or if we were paid actors and it's because they've only shown that narrative.”

'Set up to fail'

Jordan and Erica believe they were set up to fail by producers, claiming every couple is asked to voice their opinions – even when they’re not being filmed – but claim only their seemingly bitchy comments were aired.

Erica says: “Every single person in there was doing what we were doing.

“Everyone was getting asked their opinions, and everyone was voicing their opinions, but they would only show us voicing our opinions, so it looked as if we were just dishing it out to everyone and not taking it back, which wasn't the case at all. 

“We are honestly the two most unbothered people you'll ever meet. We do not care what anyone else is doing. As long as you're happy, I couldn't care less.”

People were literally asking if we were planted or if we were paid actors and it's because they've only shown that narrative

Luke and Jordan coming to blows was arguably the most controversial moment of the series.

While Jordan doesn’t think producers ever thought their row would turn physical, he suspects they had a hand in stirring the pot between the two grooms, who’d been at each other's throats.

“[The producers] know where they want the narrative to go,” says Jordan. “They can't force you to do anything – no one forced Luke to do what he did, but they can be in your ear. 

“They'll go, ‘Why don't you go down to Jordan's apartment and speak to him?’ or ‘Jordan did this or said this. What are you going to do?’ and they'll probably make it sound a lot worse."

Erica adds: “They can portray things to be not as they actually are, but they can't force you to say or do anything.

“So whatever you've said in the edit, you did say it, and you did do them actions.”

'Fake' couple

Jordan and Erica didn’t hold back when it came to their fellow couples, labelling many of them fake.

They even claimed some had “agreements” with each other that they’d continue in the show despite not being romantically involved.

Jordan says: “It was really frustrating watching it back, because viewers couldn't even tell who the fake couples were – and they would even admit themselves that they weren't a real couple.”

One couple who are still together who Erica and Jordan have their doubts about is Peggy Rose and Georges Bert – who were often seen disagreeing on the show.

“I just don't believe Peggy and Georges as a couple,” says Jordan.

“I didn't believe in them at the time, and I know I said earlier about the editing not always being what it seems but, in Peggy and Georges’ case, it did seem accurate.

“Most people watching didn't really understand them. I don't understand how, as a couple, they always had a million problems, a million different problems, new problems every week, yet they were still happy enough to stay with each other. 

“Surely, if you have that many problems as a couple, you wouldn't be happy? 

“But the reason why I feel like they could get through it, and be happy, is because they didn't really care, so it's not really a problem.”

Erica claims it was "manufactured", to which Jordan adds: "I thought it was manufactured drama to get more airtime, and they probably had the most air time out of everyone. 

“But I just feel like if you really care about someone, and you're really into them, any small problem eats away at you. 

“I just don't believe in it whatsoever.

“We’ll see soon with couples; will they still be together in like a year's time? I'll be absolutely shocked if they are – unless they’re getting success together as a couple.”

Erica adds: “They only see each other once a week. They have an agreement that they see each other once a week.”

'Auditioning for Made in Chelsea'

Another of their co-stars who Erica and Jordan had some choice words about was Laura Vaughan, who was paired with Arthur Poremba.

“Laura was basically on MAFS for an audition for Made in Chelsea,” says Jordan. “That's the only reason she was there, and I think everyone can see through that.”

Erica chimes: “She can't be on Made in Chelsea when she's from Portsmouth and she's never lived in London.”

The MAFS reunion, which aired last month, was part of the reason they felt so many of their castmates were fake.

The final dinner party saw some of the boys, including Luke and Georges, whispering about Jordan having kissed and flirted with another girl on a night out a few weeks prior.

The gossip quickly spread through the contestants, getting back to Erica, who let rip at Jordan.

However, once the cameras stopped rolling, she was able to take a step back from the situation and quickly forgave him.

She explains: “I just thought he had made a mistake, been silly, and put himself in a stupid situation. 

“But it was just really suss to me that this event, this night out, happened six weeks prior to the reunion, so everyone had been sitting on this information about this night out and nobody bothered to tell me. 

“Why have you waited until we're in front of the camera to then bring it up? 

“And I just had to ask myself, ‘Am I willing to trust him again? Am I willing to move on from this?’ And I thought that I could.”

Relaxed and stress-free

Now the show’s off air and they’re able to live as a normal couple without being in hiding, Erica and Jordan are looking forward to the future.

Erica says: “It’s just nice not having to sit down every night at nine o'clock and have anxiety about what is going to be on the TV and what the public are gonna say.”

While they’re not living together yet, Erica and Jordan tell us they’ve been splitting their time between his place in Sheffield and hers in Edinburgh, and they’re set to move to Manchester soon.

Career-wise, Erica is back working as a social media manager – for herself as well as clients – and personal trainer Jordan is getting ready for an official charity boxing match with Luke in February.

And can he win?

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“100 per cent. I know I will!” laughs Jordan.

A Channel 4 spokesperson said: “MAFS UK is very much an unscripted reality series and what viewers see onscreen is an accurate depiction of the cast’s actions and opinions at the time and of the events that took place.”

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