Steven has issued an apology to wife Nelly for the way he treated her – and her heartbreaking response suggests the two may have called it quits.
Steven and Nelly have both issued separate Instagram statements as they both had to leave group settings during last night’s episode (Wednesday October 15) as their relationship was placed under scruntiny from the other couples.
Both have said they found the episode very difficult to watch, but while Steven has addressed his wife directly and apologised to her for his behaviour, Nelly’s heartbreaking comments seem to suggest that she and Steven – who began the show as the golden couple – are no longer together.
It all began when Steven came under fire from relationship expert Paul Brunson during this week’s commitment ceremony for his behaviour towards his wife Nelly.
After the couple both decided to they wanted to keep going with their marriage and chose to stay, Steven was hoping for a relaxing day when he attended a spa with half of the other couples – but he didn’t get what he wished for.
The couples all went on two away days, each separate from their partners. Half the couples went on a spa day while the other half went for cocktails. After discussing their relationships, both Nelly and Steven had to take time away from the group. In Nelly’s case it was because she became emotional when the others told her she deserved better from Steven. When it came to Steven, however, he became angry when his peer group told him he needed to take accountability for not treating Nelly correctly and subsequently stormed away.
Married at First Sight couple Steven and Nelly on their respective away days, where the other couples called their marriage into question. Photos by Channel 4. | Channel 4
It was the second time Steven had been shown getting extremely aggravated and swearing when other members of the cast confronted him about his behaviour towards Nelly. At a previous dinner party, he stormed out and called all of his castmates c**** when they asked him why he had allegedly been discussing his sex life prior to the show while out at the pub.
After watching the scenes play out in the show last night, (Wednesday October 15), Steven took to Instagram to take that accountability. In a lengthy statement, the TV groom said the spa day had turned into an “anger management session”. He aded that the show had been “difficult to watch”.
He went on to address his actions, and said: “Blinded by my own ego and not taking accountability sooner, I broke someone who never deserved to be broken & that was hard to re-watch.
“Sometimes, watching things back and reflecting on your behaviours is what you need to make a step in that right direction. I need to apologise to @drnellyp again here, because you should never have been put in that situation where you felt isolated and alone in a marriage. That’s on me and I’ll own every bit of hurt that has come from me.”
Nelly has not responded publicly to the post. And fans aren’t so sure with what Steven had to say. “I was your biggest cheerleader and now lm just so confused by your behaviour,” one person wrote. Another person said: “I’m glad you’ve seen how s***** your behaviour is . . . No hate meant here.”
A third person wrote: “Words are good mate, but you have a heck of a lot of work to do to get you to a happier place. Your anger, passive-aggressive behaviour and seeming lack of empathy needs to be addressed. I’m coming at this from a place of concern.”
On her own Instagram page, Nelly has said the episode was “such a hard watch”. “Seeing myself back so broken and lost was honestly painful,” she added.
She wrote in her own lengthy statement: “Behind the scenes, things between Steven and I had started to feel calmer. There were small moments – the closeness, the cuddles, the kisses, the quiet chats in bed. THAT gave me hope things might be getting better. But at the same time, I was battling a constant question in my head: How do you defend something when, deep down, you know the behaviour isn’t defensible?”
She went on: “Something people don’t always realise is that we don’t see or hear everything as it happens. Some scenes and conversations I’m not actually present for – so when they air, I’m watching and hearing them for the very first time, just like everyone else. That’s not always easy.”
She also thanked her co-stars for supporting her. Many of them reacted in the comments. Keye said: “ Love you so much! Will always defend you till the end!” Rebecca said: “Love you. We’ll always have your back.” Maeve wrote: “You are such an incredible human & I am so grateful to have you in my life.”
Nelly and Steven are, however, both following each other on Instagram – unlike another couple Grace and Ashley – so this could suggest that they did manage to make things work romantically, or that they are at least friends.