How MAFS UK stars Shona and Matt found love after secretly dating ahead of reunion

Married At First Sight UK's Shona Manderson and Matt Pilmoor have been going strong for over a year since their series of the E4 show and appear in tonight's reunion special alongside stars from both the 2024 and 2023 series of the show.

However, the pair did not originally meet during their series, with Shona leaving the experiment early while Matt joined as a latecomer. While they were matched with different partners on the Channel 4 reality show – Shona was paired with Brad Skelly and Matt with Adrienne Naylor – the couple crossed paths after their respective break-ups and discovered a spark.

During the series' run, there were rumours that the pair had found love off-camera. The speculation began when Shona and Matt were spotted enjoying a coffee at Starbucks, with Shona's beloved pooch Winston tagging along.

Eyewitnesses described them as "very relaxed in each other's company", hinting they "must have been together for a while". Meanwhile, the duo were spotted subtly interacting on social media while the show aired, liking and commenting on each other's posts.

Matt was quick to like all of Shona's Instagram snaps, including a risqué lingerie shot. The Harrogate native, 29, also showed appreciation for photos of Shona practising yoga and dolled up for nights out.

Meanwhile, over on his own Instagram, Matt posted pictures that hint at romantic evenings out. In one post, he was seated at a restaurant table with two glasses of rosé wine, captioned: "I dress smart sometimes."

Shona had been liking Matt's posts since June 2023, well before the latest series of Married At First Sight UK aired on September 18. In one post, Matt shared a video with the caption: "Bodybuilder takes on yoga."

Yoga is also a passion for Shona, as the 31 year old performing arts teacher from Nottingham recently revealed she had travelled to Sri Lanka to train as a yoga teacher. Underneath Matt's video, she commented: "Yessss."

Finally, in December 2023, Matt and Shona confirmed their relationship in a chat with OK! Magazine, sharing that they planned to get married. "I’m 32 next year, so we want to have children in the next few years," Shona said in the chat.

After her experience with Brad Skelly on the show, Shona took time out to heal before meeting Matt, revealing that she went to Sri Lanka for a yoga teaching course. "It was quite emotional. I then felt so empowered when I went to the reunion. I was like, 'Oh my God, I see you now, Bradley, I don’t need you in my life.'"

The reunion was where Shona met Matt, with the pair discovering an instant spark. "We have spoken about this and we believe that it was the journey we were meant to go on. We needed to learn and grow, and I think how we have found each other is so romantic," Shona said.

"If we had been matched on the show, then maybe it would have been different. We wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for MAFS UK — it was meant to be! When Matt walked into the reunion I was like, “Who is that?” because I left [the show] and then he came in, so we had never met."

Matt added: "Adrienne and I were literally in Shona and Brad’s old apartment, so it was one in and one out! But when we met, there was just a spark straight away. We got on really well. The whole thing has happened for a reason."

MAFS UK: The Reunion airs tonight at 9pm on E4.

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