Married at First Sight UK participant Steven has revealed he sought professional therapy following his appearance on the E4 programme, while offering an apology for ‘triggering’ audiences.
The divisive groom was matched with Nelly and they appeared to connect initially. However, their relationship subsequently deteriorated, with Steven later being caught using a dating app whilst married.
Since completing filming, the MAFS groom has admitted he’s barely watched any of the current series, reports OK!.
In an Instagram post, he shared: “Now, this may or may not surprise a few people. But, I haven’t watched much of this series – for many reasons.
“Mainly, because I don’t like this version of myself. I didn’t like it during filming and I didn’t like it afterwards.”
Viewers will remember that Steven clashed with fellow participants and faced criticism from audiences for his ‘aggressive’ behaviour.
He addressed this in his social media statement, writing: “My behaviours (at times and what you have seen) were not acceptable in any way.”
Steven proceeded to issue an apology, stating: “I understand how much it would have triggered people along the way and made them think back to a time in their lives where they have experienced wrong doing by an ex partner and I’ll apologise for that, I’m sorry you’ve had to watch some of my actions on your TV screens and go back to that unsafe space.”
He went on to say: “I was never perfect, nor have I ever claimed to be. We all make mistakes, it just took me longer to see them.
“Being away from it helped me reflect and despite some things coming out that were probably hard to hear, that was the truth.”
The reality star then confessed that he “should’ve checked out of the experiment” earlier than he did. However, he also dismissed suggestions that he stayed on the show for fame or airtime.
Instead, he argued that he remained in the series hoping he doesn’t “jump at the first hurdle or small bumps in the road”.
He added: “Prior to this experiment; I thought I was ready for the next step in life, I thought I’d be ready for marriage, but there was still a lot for me to deal with before committing to such an event.
“When I received that call 10 days before the experiment – I should’ve said no.”
By the time the reunion rolled around, Steven claims he was in a much better head space after spending time with his family and returning to work.
He then disclosed: “I’d even sorted out myself some EMDR therapy along the way.”
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy is a treatment designed to help patients process traumatic memories.
While the MAFS groom didn’t divulge intimate details about his therapy journey, it appears to have made a significant difference in his life.