Are Married at First Sight 2023 couple Ella and Nathanial still together?

Meanwhile, Nathanial, who is pansexual, struggled to find true love, saying: "There's a lot of perceptions of what I am and what I get judged as, and through this situation I just wanted to meet someone - I wanted to meet in such a beautiful way where you could actually see how a pansexual man love.

Like the rest of the Married at First Sight the pair were matched by the trusted experts Paul C Brunson, Mel Schilling and Charlene Douglas, and it looked like the matchmakers had got it spot on!

With Ella’s permission, Nathanial was told about Ella’s gender identity prior to their wedding day, and despite Ella’s worries, he accepted her as his wife.

However, things took a very different turn on their honeymoon. The pair argued as Nathanial felt that Ella was being a different person when they were around others and seeking attention. He later exposed her past as a stripper - something she’d told him off camera.

Nathanial has since made several claims about the show and revealed that he quit the experiment.

Read on for everything you need to know about Ella and Nathanial, including whether they’re still together.

Who is Ella?

Age: 29

Job: Clinic consultant

Location: Weston-super-Mare

Ella is 29-year-old clinic consultant from Weston-super-Mare. She makes history as Married at First Sight's first transgender bride and has praised Channel 4, saying that shows like “Love Island would never" have her take part.

Ella lives with her nan, describing them as the dynamic duo everyone needs in their life. She told Channel 4 there is no one else in the world she is closer to.

"This experiment is so much more than just me getting married. I see this as a big deal for someone who has transitioned," she said.

Who is Nathanial?

Age: 36

Job: Events marketing manager

Location: Manchester

Event marketing manager Nathanial has a jet-setting lifestyle and is always on the move.

He exudes charisma and charm and is on the search for love with an open mind.

"I don't trust anyone but myself, but I hope they've done a good job - that's all I can say," he told Channel 4 ahead of his appearance on the experiment.

In the first episode of the 2023 season, Nathanial opened up about being pansexual, telling the other boys that he didn't know if he'd be marrying a woman or a man and was trusting the experts to give him who they thought he needed to be with.

Are Married at First Sight's Ella and Nathanial still together?

E4 are yet to confirm whether the couple stayed together, but based on Nathanial and Ella’s recent comments, it’s safe to say that the couple are no longer together and didn’t make it to the end of the experiment together.

In an interview with The Mirror, Nathanial Valentino revealed that he quit the show. He also claimed that he previously told the producers that he wouldn’t be able to go through with marrying Ella, as he wanted to be married to a man or a woman with “masculine energy”.

"I told producers that I wanted to marry a man, or a woman with a very masculine energy, because that’s normally who I go for. Then I was told they matched me with a lovely girl who was transgender. My first reaction was ‘no’ because I felt that just wasn’t me, and I told them so,” he alleged.

“But they encouraged me to think about it, saying if I didn’t take part, it would ruin this girl’s story. And by that point I had also turned down a work contract because I thought I’d be going on the show. So, I agreed. My only deal-breakers were that she didn’t smoke and didn’t work in the sex industry.”

Channel 4 have denied Valentino’s claim that he requested a partner with “masculine energy” and initially rejected Ella, telling PinkNews: “This is untrue.”

The spokesperson said: “Nathanial openly describes his sexuality and preferences on the show, at multiple points, as pansexual. After being initially notified of his bride’s gender identity, he took some time to decide and chose to continue in the process voluntarily and marry his bride.

“He entered the process with more information than we would ordinarily disclose, and did so with full and informed consent.

“Whilst we cannot go into specifics, all contributors provide their detailed dating preferences and what they’re looking for, as well as information on past relationships and experiences. The methodology our experts then use is underpinned by in-depth profiling and research to discover everything they need to know in order to match couples for compatibility.

“Duty of care to all contributors is of paramount importance and MAFS UK takes its commitment to matching couples correctly very seriously and matchmaking is undertaken by a panel of experts.”

The Manchester-born events manager eventually agreed to marry Ella, with his only deal-break being that he didn’t want to marry someone who smoked or worked in the sex industry. On their honeymoon, he found out that Ella had previously worked as a stripper.

“That’s why I was angry when I learned, before we went on honeymoon, Ella worked as a stripper,” he continued. “But when I asked to speak to my welfare person, I was told it wasn’t a good time. Another occasion, a producer told me I wouldn’t be asked about my family. Not long after, Ella asked me why she was being encouraged to ask me about my family.

“That was the kind of manipulation that went on,” he said. “[The producers] were like goblins whispering in people’s ears. I’d be having a great conversation with Ella, she would be pulled away and, five minutes later, we’d have an ­argument about the exact same thing.”

A Channel 4 Spokesperson said: “The matching process entails a detailed interrogation of every participant’s preferences and none of these would be overlooked when deciding who to pair them with. The welfare of all contributors on Married at First Sight UK is our top priority and we ensure that appropriate support is available to contributors at all times before, during and after filming – including 24/7 access to a member of the welfare team or psych support.

“The show is an unscripted reality series which follows real events as they naturally unfold and is in no way scripted.”

It’s also been reported that Ella cheated with another groom who is yet to enter the process. According to the Mail Online, Ella formed a connection with one of the other grooms in the process who is a heterosexual man, with the two agreeing they were much better suited.

The source said: “There's no denying that Ella and Nathanial were instantly attracted to each other the day of their wedding.

“But Ella's natural type is a straight man with masculine energy so one of the other grooms ticked more of her boxes.

“She didn't want to hurt Nathanial or go against the process because being part of the show means so much to her.

“Ella was looking for love and with the other groom, he adores her body and mind, and they had a much better chance of enjoying a long-lasting relationship together.”

Channel 4 refused to comment on the speculation.

Married at First Sight UK 2023 is on E4 Monday to Thursday at 9pm. Past seasons are also available to stream on Channel 4.

If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our hub for more Entertainment news.

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