Original subtitles

I definitely think I've fallen in love with you.

NARRATOR: Previously...

I've never felt like this about anyone.

..while some couples had cause to celebrate...

The feeling is there.

..others... I'm not a disrespectful person

and I don't like the way that I'm behaving, I don't.

I think what we'd all rather hear is that you stop doing it.

..faced a much less certain future. If this is the way it is,

I can't do this forever.

And for Anita and Paul...

My mindset really hasn't shifted that much.

..it was the end of the road. Leave.

Tonight... I'm not going to tell the story your way.

..Grace and Ashley continue to clash.

It's like talking to a brick wall, Ash.

And as the experiment hits its next phase...

It's In-Laws Week.

Brilliant. Oh, God.

Are you all right? Nice to see you again.

..will hard truths from loved ones...

This has probably been the hardest week.

..spell more trouble for the couple?

I just don't want you to tell me how to look, how to be.

I don't need it. I would agree.

Don't tell me what to wear.

And it's time for six more courageous singles...

I want to have my happily ever after.

..to take the ultimate gamble on love.

Today is now or never. Everything is riding on this.

But will an overprotective mum... Here's my Abi.

I will not see her hurt again.

..derail the first new couple's big day?

The last thing I want is to be upset

by some arrogant person that comes along.

I am the one that vets everybody. I'm the bad guy. Beware.

HE GULPS

There's a seesaw!

Oh, I took your side. Oh, fine!

THEY LAUGH

Julia-Ruth, do you want a tea? Yes, please.

NARRATOR: It's the morning after the second commitment ceremony.

It was nice just to kind of tell everyone how we feel

and obviously we told each other we love each other.

Yeah, we did, didn't we? Yeah.

I think there were a few tears about as well.

There was, wasn't there? Probably from me.

SHE LAUGHS

Do you want breakfast? Yes, I'd love breakfast.

I did say the L word at the commitment ceremony last night

but, I'm happy about it.

It's big that someone's telling me that they love me.

Yeah, I know. I was like, "She'll say it back any minute now."

Babe, don't! No, I'm joking.

For me at, the moment, I'm not in a place

where I want to tell Bailey that I love him

because I don't feel that yet.

I am a slower burner when it comes to

feelings and expressing feelings.

I need to be 100% sure

before I communicate something like that.

I was just ready to say it.

Nelly and I are currently not in the greatest of places,

given how the commitment ceremony went.

How do you feel after couch time with the experts?

Yeah, a little bit... a little bit drained.

What about yourself? Yeah, it was a really bad week.

I get bored and bored of saying the same thing over and over again.

You keep saying that. Because I have to BLEEP say it.

Don't raise your voice at me.

Sorry?

I said BLEEP idiot. That's what I said.

It's not just how it came out. It's how you chose to say it.

You're a grown man

in control of the words that come out of your mouth.

I think, obviously, I've got a lot to work on myself, in't I?

But, yeah, what can I actually do

to rectify some of the things I've done this week?

It's so much easier with me if you just hold your hands up

and just take accountability and say, "You know what?

"I've really messed up here. I shouldn't have said it.

"I'm really, really sorry."

I will always respond better to that.

But, I think, for me, more than anything,

I just need to see, I guess, words put into actions.

I just need to see a little bit more from you.

Yeah. I'm really hoping that Steven

is understanding how important this is to me and makes it up to me.

Grace hasn't spoken to me since the commitment ceremony.

I don't really know how I'm feeling, to be honest.

It's all a bit up in the air.

When we got home from the commitment ceremony,

we decided that we should just have a bit of space,

so Ash slept in a different apartment.

Now that I've had a night on my own,

I've processed what it is exactly that bothered me

about the commitment ceremony.

We agreed, in terms of intimacy, that we'd bring this one issue

that we can't manage in-house to the experts,

that we had bought contraceptive

and his expectations around sex that night.

But on the sofa at the commitment ceremony,

as soon as we sat down, he's like,

"I picked her up and I put her on the kitchen bench.

"She's nuzzling my neck."

And I was like, "What's happening?

"Why are you talking about this?" Totally blindsides me.

I think the main thing that I thought Grace and I had

is that we worked through things really well.

I'm intrigued to see why she's annoyed

or why she needs the space

because I thought the couch was a place

where we both go and we just lay it all out.

So, does she feel like she hasn't said what she wanted to say?

I don't know.

I'm hoping we just get an opportunity

to just work through it now.

KNOCKING

Hello. You ready to talk?

Yeah. You? Yeah.

You OK? Um, yeah, I'm OK,

But I do think we need to debrief.

I think a few things just came out of the woodwork that shocked me.

We went out to get a pizza and we were really flirty

and touchy and we went back to the apartments

and then I picked Grace up and put her on the counter

while I was doing the pizza.

And I was kind of between Grace's legs

and she was rubbing her nose in my face.

Sorry, can you stop? You're embarrassing me now.

This is embarrassing. Where is this going?

What Ash brings to the group

is not a reflection of what's really happening.

There was a comment about,

"You look nice. Have you got a dress you can put on?"

She put an outfit on and I said, "You look amazing

"but have you got a dress to put on because I know where we're going."

That was what it was. I'm trying really hard.

You're trying. And I give you an A for trying.

But I'm going to give you a C for execution. Mm-hm.

Did we not agree that we were not going to talk about intimacy,

but because we'd come upon an issue that we were

not going to resolve between us,

we were just going to take that one thing,

that we had bought contraceptive, to the experts?

Do you think it was considerate to talk about

putting me on the bench, about nuzzling your neck...

But this is... ..completely out of the blue?

You can't not understand that all these bits

are why we've gotten to this stage,

why we can't move past it, why I'm feeling frustrated.

Like, there were things that built up to it.

But don't say that we're only going to speak about one part,

which you know I'm anxious about, clarify that,

and then in the middle of the commitment ceremony,

throw another bit of intimacy in.

I do disagree with you there

because we did agree that we were going to open up.

One aspect of intimacy. No, that's not...

Why are you saying that's not what we said?

I literally said it on the sofa.

I said, "There'a a piece of intimacy..."

Grace, I'm not going to tell the story your way.

Did I or did I not tell you before the ceremony

that I'm just going to tell my story, the build up to it?

Word for word I said to you.

When did you mention that you were going to go into way more aspects

of intimacy than I was comfortable with? That is the story.

Grace. Grace, you agreed

that you would open up about the intimacy because...

It's like talking to a brick wall, Ash.

Which bit is unclear?

I think it was inconsiderate of you to not tell me

that you were going to bring that up.

OK, I take that on board. OK.

And I put my hands up. OK, thank you.

Can we talk about the dress situation?

I took issue with you telling me to wear a dress. Yeah, I know.

In the retelling of it to other people... Right.

You said, "I was doing her a favour because it was a surprise.

"She didn't know where we were going,

"she didn't know the dress code."

That's not true. How is that not true?

I did know where we were going.

The fact of the matter is, you wanted me in a dress.

Yeah. Because that's your preference.

Yes. So when you dress it up as,

I was doing her a favour because she didn't

know the dress code... I didn't say that.

It was, you didn't know about it, I did.

What's going on? Why are you doing this?

I did know the dress code and the reason he said it

was because he would have preferred me in a dress.

I need you to not deny things.

You asked the experts. What did you ask them for?

A tomboy Barbie that wear welly boots and...? OK.

Throw on a...? A dress to go to a... A cocktail dress.

Did you or did you not

when I was wearing leopard-print jeans and a white vest top,

say, "Can't you chuck a dress on? Make a bit of effort for me?"

I don't remember that at all. OK.

And I wouldn't have worded it like that.

This expectation you have of wearing dresses,

you sat on the couch and you said you'd only said it once.

Grace, I didn't pick you, right? You were picked for me.

I know. I had preferences before I'd met you.

I'm not disputing that.

What I'm disputing is that you only said it once.

Do you understand how frustrating it is for me

in the commitment ceremony,

when you are essentially making a liar of me?

I forgot about the first one. I did forget, I do apologise. OK.

I'm just trying to emphasise a bit of frustration here.

I'm just trying to show you why it's an issue,

and I think you're starting to appreciate why.

I'm working on myself constantly with your views. I know.

I'm a fucking quarter through a book on feminism.

I am working hard at trying to see your views.

I am so struggling with the fact that you're waiting

for me to do something to pounce on it.

I'm not standing here with a clipboard constantly

ticking off this, ticking off that.

But you have ingrained ideas about women

that I need to be able to challenge.

Can I ask then, can I ask when you challenge them,

can we rather than like a... I don't do that, Ash.

It turns into an argument when you deny it,

when you dispute it, when you edit what you said

to make it something else and I feel insane.

OK.

I apologise.

Look, Grace, I, don't want to make you feel like this,

and I'm really not trying to do it.

I am working at this

but we're still banging heads and I don't feel like we need to.

Maybe I am in the wrong for this,

but do I have to work at all these things constantly?

Is that marriage? Is that what marriage is?

KNOCKING

A golden envelope now? Like, are you kidding me?

Is it what I think it is? Yeah.

So soon? I know.

Golden envelope!

HE LAUGHS

Oh!

"Dear Maeve and Joe, it's In-Laws Week."

"This gives you the chance to really get to know your spouse's

"closest nearest and dearest." What?

Brilliant. Oh, gosh.

Grilling from the family as well as the experts.

"This is a key part of the process,

"as it's their time to observe

"and assess how things are going in your relationship."

"Good luck and remember,

"no one understands you quite like they do.

"Love Mel, Paul and Charlene."

What are we going to cook them, though?

Oh, I don't know.

I think this literally

could not have come at a better time.

Oh, I'm excited. Yeah.

I'm quite glad that you get this week.

Maybe it could be good to sort of have their advice

and maybe they can help us through it.

I'm really glad that Grace is going

to get to see her friends because I think she really needs it.

Maybe they might be able to communicate

and articulate what I'm trying to say to Grace.

Or maybe I'll just get a hammering.

I'm the first one here. OK.

We've reached a pivotal point in the experiment

where we'll be introducing three new couples.

Hi! How are you doing?

This is so exciting. How are you? I'm good. How are you?

Before they walk down the aisle,

they'll be celebrating one final night of freedom.

I'm Leo. Nice to meet you. Reece.

I'm John. John, nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.

It's a chance for them to have fun, get to know each other...

How are you doing? Oh, how are you?

..and wave goodbye to single life before embarking on their marriages.

Since I've been single, I don't think I've been

on more than three dates with one person.

Really? Yeah. And even the third one was really pushing it for me.

I was like, "I don't really wanna be here."

I'm doing this... to get laid!

You're like the man. I love it! I've got a manly voice.

They're very crazy girls

But I like that because that's me, So I think we're very similar.

I honestly don't mind like a big kid

in the sense of as soon as they're funny, I'm so weak to it.

Honestly, I'm literally like that, "Hey".

I hate to admit this but funny does get fanny!

THEY LAUGH

How do you normally meet women? Have you got any good chat-up lines?

Do you know what I like? I like a supermarket.

Right. If I see a girl in a supermarket that I like,

I will go up to her and just chuck a different name at her.

Just whatever name, whatever name comes in your head.

She'll turn around and go, "That's not my name."

And you go, "What is it then?" And she'll go...

And you'll go, "Oh."

It's a good ice-breaker. Yeah. I'm a romantic.

Yeah.

I need to be hanging out at these supermarkets.

Ha-ha. That's where I've been going wrong.

I think my self-confidence, because I've been single for so long,

has probably eroded away a little bit.

Reece seems to have that in abundance.

So that's why I like the organic feel

of meeting someone out in like a natural place.

In the express checkout aisle. Mm.

What sort of like aesthetics do you want?

I like tall, like football.

Maybe an athletic guy, type of thing.

Like a footballer or... Yeah.

You look like someone a footballer would definitely

be proud to parade around like this,

"Look at my girl!" Oh, my darling! What about you?

Tell me. I do bodybuilding, so I want someone...

Do you? Yes.

Play, girl. I've always kind of gone for those type of guys.

So whether I should kind of go for that, I don't know.

I don't want someone who's super arrogant.

That's like a massive turn-off for me.

I want confidence, but not cocky

and just someone who's just like genuine.

One of the craziest things I did last year was enter

the World Hot Dog Eating competition for the UK. Oh, wow!

How many did you eat? I think it was about 14 in ten minutes.

Wow. Where did you finish?

I think I was about fourth

and the winner got to go to New York for the actual big competition.

How many do they do at a big competition?

Joey Chestnut, he's done about 61. Joey Chestnut.

Yeah. LAUGHTER

I don't want a party boy. No, no. Not a party boy.

No. Like, I don't mind a retired party boy,

but if he's like. Been there, done that.

Yeah, been there, literally dumped my ex for that reason.

I'm not going back.

You'll know by my faces whether I'm happy or not.

Yeah! In fact, you probably won't

because I've had that much Botox, but, you know!

I'll tell you, I'll be like, blink one for yes, two for no.

The next time we will all see each other

will be when we're married and have our husbands!

I know. I'm so excited.

I'm so ready to have that ring on my finger.

Wifey for lifey and all that.

I am so ready to fall in love. That's all I want.

It's all I've been wanting since I was a little girl.

Cheers, boys. Here's to our wives.

Here's to our wives. Yes, to our wives.

Last day of freedom.

Feeling excited. Can't wait to meet my wife.

Yeah, just bring it all on.

And the first of the new brides to head down the aisle

is 34-year-old Abigail.

OK. I'm ready.

This is a new chapter in my life

and I want to make, hopefully,

my husband really happy on his wedding day.

No, not like that! I didn't mean that!

So, I'm a veterinary nurse. I do love caring for the animals.

It's got its pros and cons. It's not a very glamorous job.

Oh, nice.

CHICKEN CLUCKS

One minute you could be chopping off dogs' balls...

DOG WHINES

..the next you're doing anaesthetics.

You name it, I've seen it.

It's the best job in the world.

I've got two more, then we'll stop.

When I'm not at work,

fitness and health is really important to me.

Good work. Good work, team.

I started bodybuilding four years ago.

I absolutely love it.

I like to train and work out at least five times a week.

You can't go off plan. You have to be disciplined.

You have to be strict.

I mean, I like weighing out every single gram of food.

I love a strict regime.

So I feel like I have my whole life planned.

With the relationship side, it's probably not going to my plan.

Honestly, the reason why I'm single,

I don't really know.

It's definitely me and there's something that I'm doing.

I've read all the relationship books,

I have one right in front of me here.

It's called Why Men Love Bitches.

I've read it about ten times, but it's still not helping me out.

Have you been on any dates recently? Uh-uh.

It's just too traumatising going on a date

and then it not working out and just being back

to square one, really. I know.

I just boil up inside. How dare they say that to my daughter.

My mum's British and my dad's Lebanese.

I'm super close to my family,

and my mum is so involved in my love life.

She's definitely not afraid to say her opinion on my partners.

She's even told previous exes they are not good enough for me.

You've been through so much, relationship-wise.

There are some red flags that we need to look at.

The experts probably think

they've got it right, but he has to pass the Mum test.

I think I'm more nervous about my mum's approval

than actually meeting my husband.

I think that's more scary.

She's never approved of a boyfriend.

No. This is high stakes.

Yeah, it's kind of do-or-die, really, on the wedding day!

I just want someone that I can bring home

that you, for once, will approve of. Yeah.

I've had a lot of difficult and dreadful relationships in the past.

One significant one.

It makes me nervous thinking about this because

I don't know how I didn't kind of like spot the signs.

I thought he seemed to kind of have his, you know, shit together.

And so we started dating.

It was all going really, really well. But he lied to me.

Um, it turns out that he was actually married.

Wow.

And it was just so hurtful

that he could lie to, obviously not only me,

but also his wife as well.

How do you think that impacts your outlook on love?

It made me kind of lose trust within myself

because how could I have not realised?

And I did lose a lot of confidence and hope, really.

I feel like I've lost faith in guys, full stop.

But, obviously, you both have found

your lifelong partners, haven't you? This is it...

I want what you guys have. Yeah.

From hearing it from my friends and my family,

what true love is, I've never actually been in love.

So this is my last hope.

I hope my husband is athletic, handsome...

..close with his parents and family.

I want us to embrace each other's cultures.

My dating history is disastrous.

I've been through all the shit,

so I definitely want a guy who's honest.

Someone that's gonna care and provide for me

and make me feel secure in a relationship.

I feel like it's my last-ditch attempt to get married.

Otherwise, I'm forever going to be the bridesmaid and never the bride.

An ideal first date for me would be maybe a little walk in a park...

Not a park.

A park, walk in a park. What?

First date's going to be shit. That's why I'm single!

I'd say that I'm fun.

I'm caring and loving.

I'm excited by life, I'm ambitious.

I work for myself. I'm a social media manager.

I love being in charge of my own destiny.

I'm successful because I'm happy.

I'm happy in life, I'm happy in work.

And I think that's the main measure of success.

I look like Super Mario there, don't I?

I'm very close to family.

That's in Terracina in Italy.

I look tall there.

I think you're standing on the grate!

THEY LAUGH

Sundays are normally dinner at Mum's house.

Buon appetito a tutti.

Thanks, Mum. They're normally quite full-on,

people chatting around the dinner table,

nephews getting my attention, that kind of thing.

My mum's family are Italian, so, I don't quite speak Italian,

but maybe I do speak the language of love.

BAD ITALIAN ACCENT: No, I can't do the Italian accent.

Mum's always very keen to find me a wife.

She's trying to marry me off from anyone from about 25 to 55.

I've been single about five or six years now.

Dating in North Wales is hard. The pool is only small,

so you see the same kind of people on the dating apps.

I download the dating apps, I delete the dating apps, I re-download them.

So dating is hard.

I think dating for a 38-year-old man is hard as well.

On a scale of one to ten, how excited are you to get married?

I'm ten. I'm ready.

Most of my friends are settled down now,

so I'm one of the only single guys left.

There was actually a group chat that I wasn't involved in

because it was a couples' group chat.

Shame.

So I had one long-term relationship from school

right through to my mid 20s.

We were together for a long time

from a boy to a man, really. OK.

How did that, if I can ask, how did that relationship end?

It ended with her saying

that she didn't want to be with me any more.

Since then, have you had a relationship

that has been a long relationship?

Nothing that's been meaningful.

Does that present any fear for you going into this experiment?

Yeah, definitely. Being single for so long,

you feel like, wow, am I ever going to be somebody's person?

I'm scared of not being enough for somebody,

for my wife to look at me and think,

oh, wait a minute, he's not right for me.

That does scare me.

I just don't think I've found the right one

in terms of progressing with other girls.

I've been in little situationships for the last few years,

nothing's ever taken that additional step.

I feel like I do fall for girls quickly.

I wear my heart on my sleeve

and I've maybe misjudged when to share my feelings.

I might have put people off.

I want people to be absolutely all in

because when I'm dating somebody, that's how I am.

The perfect wife for me would light up the room when she walks into it,

and family would be really, really important to her.

I'm looking to fully settle down. I want a wife, I want a family.

I've not said "I love you" to many people.

So to be able to say "I love you" to a wife,

I think that would be the most perfect thing in the world.

Abigail and John have so much in common.

They're both old-fashioned romantics who want nothing more than

to meet someone they can settle down with and build a life with.

But, up until now, they've both been unlucky in love.

In her previous relationships,

Abigail has been let down by people who have taken advantage

of her sweet and caring nature. This consistent heartache

means she's lost confidence in her own instincts.

She needs someone who's kind,

patient, and an open book when it comes to love.

John could be the perfect match.

John is well-mannered and respectful,

but he's also a real romantic who wears his heart on his sleeve.

Like Abigail, he's struggled to find love in the past

but he remains optimistic and upbeat,

which is exactly what she needs.

And they have so many shared characteristics.

They're both ambitious and adventurous

and they both place huge value on the importance of family.

I think these guys have the potential

for a really special connection.

Abigail and John.

NARRATOR: As Abigail and John prepare to walk down the aisle,

for the existing couples, it's In-Laws Week.

Thank you.

And Grace and Ashley are about to meet Grace's two best friends.

If I'm being honest, I'm a little bit nervous.

At the end of the day,

these girls know Grace better than probably I ever will.

So maybe if somebody else really close to her

can see how hard I'm working and what I'm trying to do,

and they tell her, she might take it in a bit more.

I hope she does.

We'll see.

Yeah, I feel a bit emosh. I can imagine.

Yeah. Don't know where I'm going to begin

to try and fill them in on everything.

I'm feeling so excited to see Grace today.

She was quite overwhelmed at the wedding, understandably.

There was a few things where I'm like,

will they get on? Will they not?

I'm really intrigued. Hello.

Oh, my... Hello!

Oh, gorgeous girl! All right? Nice to see you again.

I've been thinking about you so much.

I've been thinking about you guys as well.

You were crying when we last left you, and now you're crying! Honestly.

It hasn't really stopped. No, no, I don't mean it like that.

No, it's been tough for both of us.

This has probably been the hardest week.

OK. How do you feel about each other?

Like, do you fancy each other?

The main thing I've been struggling with is the hot and cold.

It's how Grace is in the moment. And I am such a touchy-feely person.

I feel like Ash is all over me.

Ash feels like I'm cold.

On the honeymoon, when I barely knew Ash,

because he is so tactile, I found it too much,

I asked him to stop and like let me lead.

I get confused with things that have happened and, like,

if we can do that, but I can't touch your hand there.

That's what confuses me.

It's just it's how Grace is in the moment,

which has been very hard for me to kind of navigate.

What are the things that Grace is saying

that you're doing "wrong" or whatever?

So, it's like the whole "chuck a dress on" thing.

I don't understand.

So, basically, there's been a few comments

about me wearing a dress and I didn't jump down your throat,

but I decided, I was like,

"Hey, I just don't want you

"to tell me how to look, how to be, how to dress."

And following that, you asked me to wear a dress again.

I can't work with this. We say "a dress" again, right?

That's not what I meant. I was like, where we're going,

why didn't you chuck, like, a dress on... Yeah.

Then it was me telling her what to wear. I would agree.

I wouldn't love that.

I'm totally on your side with that. OK.

It just feels like a power play.

It just feels like a power play.

Like I'll hold my hands up, I said it and I did it,

so I'm gonna learn from this and move on.

We are learning off each other. Yeah. No, 100%.

You know, Grace has got a lot of love to give,

but it's just maybe going to be a different pace to what yours is.

Is there anything that you think could help you... Mittens.

Honestly, this is a gorgeous idea. Please sew them on.

He's obviously someone that needs an awful lot of affection

and outwardly shown love.

Grace is the opposite to that.

Anyone want a drink then? Yes, please.

I think she definitely has capacity to be affectionate,

it's just maybe not on the same level as what Ashley wants.

And maybe with time,

they can meet in the middle with that, or maybe not.

Tell me how you're feeling. Where are we at with him?

Ash is genuinely great.

It is quite ironic because the core values of who he is

is that he wants to totally respect you. Yes.

But he manages to, like,

disrespect you just because of how he says some words.

There must be somewhere in the middle that we can get to,

but that does take work.

I think that's true, but I get that some of the things he says...

I'd be a bit like, "Don't tell me what to wear." Right.

He just seemed to be receptive and very willing.

That's one of the things I really like about him, yeah.

That's huge.

That's what you need.

He does really want to give everything, and so do I.

You got it, girl. Trust yourself. Trust your feelings. Yeah.

Try and just approach now a bit more like

that you just want to go and have a bit more fun.

That's what I wanted to bring to the marriage,

I wanted to bring my fun, silly self.

Has that not been there at all? Not really, no.

She's in there, though.

Oh, my God. Guys, it's so hard.

But I also just feel guilty

because I don't really want to ring him out like a tea towel

and get rid of so much of the lovely parts of him, you know?

Like, it's so hard. Do you tell him that?

Because that is, like, literally telling him clear as day,

I really like you, I respect you, I'm really sorry,

but these things are really important to me.

I need that to change.

Hello.

Oh! Wow.

Cheers, my dears. Cheers.

Cheers, guys. It's honestly so nice to see you both.

I'm sorry it's been a bloody whirlwind.

It sounds like it's been tough.

And, obviously, Grace is feeling a lot, but trying to

let some of the lightness and playful silliness happen

because she's a silly, fun, loud, very caring, very loving person.

Yeah, I am like, sorry... Don't apologise.

..that it becomes like your sort of problem.

You are my problem now.

THEY LAUGH

But, like, I don't want to

hurt you or damage you or change you.

Well, I mean, there are certain things

that I would want to just gently redirect,

but, do you know what I mean? You're so great.

I mean it when I say that there is

so much that I do really love about you.

I know it feels really heavy for you guys,

but there is good here. Yeah, the energy is good.

Yeah. Just think about the work that you're actually doing.

And this is all good progress.

Yeah. I see something.

I see that it could be really good, and I do believe it.

I think that if we could get over these bits,

we could be really strong.

It's good to have a reminder from people that know me well

that I'm clearly going through a lot,

that I'm overwhelmed for many reasons, not just Ash.

I am very pro moving forward now. Yeah, letting go.

Can you visualise who you're going to see at the end?

I have a feeling that he's going to have some Mediterranean in him.

The family type. Exactly.

Are you gonna like him, Mum?

Yes, I know. We know it takes a lot to impress you.

I feel like at least he's been chosen for a reason.

And probably better than any of my previous partners.

All I can say is, couldn't be any worse.

My dating history hasn't been going very well.

I'm not the best at picking men,

so I really hope that he's the one today.

With men, you know, in my past,

I just, I can't trust them

because they've just ended up hurting me.

It's very hard to see someone hurt you.

It's going to make me cry now because it just upsets me

because it makes me really insecure

about myself and I've never felt good enough.

Sorry.

Because Abigail's character is the way it is,

people can take advantage of her.

She's been brokenhearted so many times.

I will not see her hurt again.

All right, lads, how are we? Didn't sleep very well last night.

No. Finally hit you? Yeah. I'm nervous.

I'm nervous. A wedding's a huge day for anyone, isn't it?

So you don't want anything to... Deflate you?

Yeah. I've been unlucky in love, haven't I?

Yeah. I've been trying to find someone for quite some time.

I had a little bit of a moment, Liam, at your wedding.

Everyone was on the dance floor with their wives

and I was on the dance floor with my mum.

as amazing as that was, I was like,

"Oh yeah, I've got no-one to bring here as well."

So, it's that like realisation, I haven't found love.

I mean I've always been the groomsman, never the groom,

so, today, that changes.

I'm putting absolutely everything into this marriage.

It's all I've been thinking about for such a long time.

I just hope she's willing to give it her all,

like I'm willing to give it my all. Yeah.

Just hope that my nerves don't take over

and she sees my personality in those first instances.

They're really important.

I don't want any doubts in her head, really.

Just be natural. Yeah.

Just be your absolute self. Don't try and change anything about it.

John has been looking for love for a while.

It's a massive risk that he's taking.

I think this is the most nervous I've ever seen John looking.

Oh, my God, you look amazing!

Wow!

Mwah!

Hi, Daddy.

My highlight of today is going to be seeing his face

when my beautiful Abi walks down the aisle.

And if it's not lit up, I'll light it up.

I am the one that vets everybody. It's me, I'm the bad guy.

I'm a good judge of character.

As a family, we want respect. Respect is number one.

Yeah. Yeah.

If he doesn't give that initial warmth to Abi,

then beware.

This is exciting.

Today is now or never.

I'm most worried about getting to the top of that aisle

and I'm not enough for her.

I'm definitely ready to find love.

It's my time. Everything is riding on this.

Hi. Hi.

How are you? You OK? Yeah.

Doesn't he look handsome? He does, doesn't he?

Nice to meet you. You OK?

She's gonna be buzzing. Yeah.

I've been waiting for this moment my entire life.

And I can't believe that now the day is finally here.

I want to have my happily ever after.

I've got the horse, I've got the carriage.

I just want to meet my Prince Charming. Just want the man.

I want to see you happy.

I want to see you with a partner that appreciates,

respects, and loves you. Then my job is done.

I'm really nervous

about meeting my groom for the first time.

I have trusted people too much in the past.

I'm taking a massive leap of faith.

If this doesn't work, then I don't really know what else will.

Hi.

Hi.

You look amazing. Hi.

It's my Abi. Hi. Hi, I'm Abi.

I'm John. Lovely to meet you.

And you? Oh, wow. She's absolutely beautiful.

Your eyes are amazing. You've got stunning eyes.

You look amazing. Thank you.

He's definitely my type, 100%.

Instantly, I just relaxed.

I feel like I'm like holding on for dear life. This is OK.

Like it's the ride of our lives. This is OK.

I've got you. I've got you.

Hi!

Everyone's crying. I'm sorry. Don't cry. We're gonna be fine.

This is my husband John. Well, not yet.

Hi, I'm John.

Wow. There is definitely a spark there.

But, as yet, I don't know enough about him.

We will see.

Welcome, Abigail and John. Thank you.

Let us join together in supporting and witnessing

the commitment that they are about to make.

Now the vows. Abigail. Do I go first?

Would you please recite your vows to John?

Marhaba, zawj. Ana esme Abigail.

Hello, husband. My name is Abigail.

Being half Lebanese, family is a large part of my life,

so not only do you have to put up with me,

but you have to put up with my family too.

I may not know anything about you apart from your name,

which I may have already forgotten. It's John. John.

Yeah, I know.

But what I do know is that I'm 100% committed to you

and exploring this connection.

My glass will always be half full,

so I'll ensure to keep yours topped up too.

All I ask is that you give us a chance

and are fully committed to this marriage

and embracing this exciting journey ahead of us.

Oh, those were amazing.

Thank you. APPLAUSE

To Abi, my wife.

It feels like I've waited forever to find you.

I can't wait to learn everything about you

and understand the journey that brought you here today.

I asked for someone to make my life whole.

And here you are.

By saying yes to this experiment,

you've already ticked so many boxes for me. Oh.

It tells me you're ambitious,

open to love and spontaneous, just like me. Oh.

I promise to stand by your side,

to be your greatest supporter and your safest place. Oh!

That's what I wanted!

I will listen, I will strive to understand you in every way,

to learn what makes you feel loved, valued, and truly seen.

I've been happy for a long time, but not complete.

And now that you're here, I hope to finally feel just that.

So let's go and make the most incredible memories.

We have a whole love story to write.

APPLAUSE

They were so nice. So were yours, honestly.

The rings. John, would you place this ring on Abigail's finger?

Abigail. Oh, yes.

Oh. Oh, no, sorry.

I don't want to... THEY LAUGH

It's a good match.

I hope and I pray that this time Abi has found her Mr Right.

Every mother's wish.

I'm hoping he's going to be every mother's wish.

You may now share your first kiss as a couple.

Oh!

Go on, Abi!

CHEERING

It is my honour to present to you for the first time,

our newly united couple, Abigail and John. Woo!

CHEERING

I'm absolutely over the moon with my new wife.

All the things I was talking about before meeting Abi,

family values, optimist.

This does feel like someone that I could fall in love with.

I can't believe I'm married!

I do fancy my groom, thank God! I was really worried

and he seemed so nice as well.

Gosh, it's so important now, probably more than ever,

that John gets the seal of approval from my mum.

And would it be possible just to get a kiss for the camera, if that's OK?

If you're comfortable, is that OK? So just...

There you go. Lovely. Thank you. Really nice.

You're gonna have loads of lipstick on you!

Yeah, I fancy Abi. She's everything that I'd want.

Nice, beautiful eyes, beautiful smile, white teeth.

So I hope that she fancies me, yeah.

You walked down with your mum? I did, yes. Yeah.

So, just to warn you, she's never liked any

of my previous partners. OK.

So she's quite hard to please.

So you might have a bit of a grilling from her.

I would love to really try and prove myself to Abi's mum.

So, yeah, it's scary, really.

It's really close, isn't it?

Mum would definitely be doing all the pre-vetting.

She's not afraid to say how she feels, let's put it that way.

God help him if my mum doesn't approve.

Are you excited to see them?

I can't wait, I'm buzzing. How are you feeling?

Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing them, for sure.

What if their advice is get rid, pack your bags, you're coming home?

My family's opinion is important to me,

but I'll always make my own mind up.

OK. Why, are you worried I'm gonna leave?

You'd miss me now anyway. Yeah. I don't want you to leave.

Meeting with Grace's closest friends,

it was really good for us today.

But, if I'm being completely honest, I'm a little bit nervous

about Grace being with my mother and my sister.

Hello!

Good to see you. Hello!

Hi, guys. Come in. How are you? Nice to finally see you.

It's so good to see you.

I feel very stressed about Jess and Maxine visiting.

They're obviously really close and he means the world to them.

When they hear that I've been giving their boy a hard time,

I am worried that they are not going to like me.

You two look well. Yeah.

Good. Well, shall I say? Go ahead.

It's not been easy.

It's not going to be. Marriage is not easy.

We both said if it was a date,

neither of us would have gone on a second one. Yeah.

Really? OK.

Just picked different people with different views.

Like Grace is a liberal feminist

and I've said right from the very beginning

that I was an old-school gent.

So there was things I was saying and doing that was triggering Grace.

Grace panicked a little bit

because she thought I was misogynistic,

but I'm a gentleman. Like, I want to carry a bag,

I want to open a door or put a chair in and stuff like that.

But, I think you were kind of struggling with that

to begin with as well, weren't you?

I understand that, but this is

the way, obviously, he's been brought up.

It wasn't so much what I was doing,

it's because of the things that I said. Sorry.

Is that fair to say? There were certain things Ash

was saying that I was hearing as being a bit judgemental of women.

But, like, you know me better... Sorry.

No, no, for example, the comment about wearing a dress.

And I was just worried that Ash was like "women equals dresses".

Have you not seen the signs on the toilets? It's not my fault.

It was a joke. Sorry. That's OK.

Grace and Ashley, I think they are doing good,

but I think that there are some issues, maybe, that they need

to try and sort out as well.

And now, how are you feeling with each other?

Um, yesterday we'd both kind of hit a stage

where this shouldn't be this hard.

It feels like extreme highs and then like extreme lows.

It's very intense. Can I add something in there?

Yeah. That is marriage.

Yeah. It just is graft every day.

If you haven't got the graft to put into it,

then you're not ready for marriage.

And on that note, shall I go and get us some more wine, guys?

Yes, please. I'll go and get us some.

All right, be right back. See you in a bit.

Are you OK? Yeah, of course.

The last sort of couple of days hasn't been great.

Like it's probably been the worst that it was.

Do you think she could be the one?

This is the oddest experience,

I think, you could ever put yourself through.

Like, you know me, I pick up on everything

and I'm sat here watching you and Grace,

and you are like, "Sorry, sorry, sorry." Yeah, I noticed this.

"Oh, sorry, Grace." Yeah.

You're not that person. Yeah.

I like her but, I just think

surely you should be going into something

and not changing your really lovely, loving self.

And I'm going to be really blunt with this,

you also cannot fight for something that's not fighting back.

I cannot sit here and go, "Yeah, she's going to be the one."

I cannot sit here and go, "Yeah, she's going to be the one."

If I felt like she wasn't trying, I wouldn't be here.

I wouldn't.

The Grace now has softened so much since the wedding,

and I've already seen a difference with her just today.

Oh, that's good. So, it's like two steps forward, one back.

Yeah. So this is progress. Yeah.

I think she's lovely.

She's definitely your type. Yeah.

And for Grace, she is obviously coming into this fully. Yeah.

Because if it affects her that much, she's come into it...

No, you're right. ..wholeheartedly.

She just wants the right person. That makes sense.

I hadn't even thought of it that way, but yeah.

Wearing her heart on her sleeve. Yeah.

Hello. Sorry to keep you waiting. Ready for a top up?

We definitely are.

So, good chat?

I think obviously, like, I know my brother.

Like, he looks exhausted, and I think he's maybe

overcompensating, saying sorry. "Sorry, Grace, sorry."

You know, that's just something I've picked up on today.

It sounds like all I've done is complain about Ash.

I just want to emphasise there's so much I do love about Ash.

Um...

I love how fondly he speaks of his family.

He's perpetually in a good mood.

There's barely any ups, barely, any downs. He is so generous. Yeah.

Yeah.

That's nice. Oh, good. Yeah, well, it's true.

So I don't want you to think that I'm like...

No, you've just got married to a complete stranger.

I'm not expecting you to sit there and go, "He's great, he's amazing",

because you're not going to feel that way.

Well, I'm trying to reciprocate.

I got this A on my nails. I've just seen, I spotted it. It's cute.

I wouldn't do this in my former marital life. That's very girly.

It's very girly.

To me, it signifies ownership

and your partner is your identity, and all the things I'm against,

but I knew Ash would like it. He does like it.

Exactly. She come in with it and I lit up.

I was like, I was so happy.

Just because... That's all you want.

Not ownership, but she's done something really nice for me.

Aw. I think Grace is lovely.

I think they just need to understand each other

a little bit more and take time to understand each other.

This come at such a good time, seeing you guys.

Yeah, definitely. And obviously seeing you guys,

it's almost like more evidence

that you are the person that you're putting forward.

And I can relax a bit and stop looking for things

that might be, you know... Maybe stop picking up as much...

Yeah. ..24/7 with certain things.

He is a puppy dog, realistically, that just wants love.

And he'll give you anything as long as you give him

a little bit of love back.

I am feeling way more hopeful now.

I'm back in a good space. I feel happy to be here.

I feel gratitude I'm here with Ash.

His whole, "I'm such a nice guy, you should never assume the worst."

Like, that was frustrating to me for a period of time.

Now I think I kind of get it.

CHEERING

Hi, darling. Hi, John. Hi.

I'm really looking forward to talking to John.

He gives off the vibes of being approachable,

but I am very good

at sussing out people in five minutes.

Is it just the four of them on the table? Yeah.

Wow. No pressure(!)

I've been married now for 41 years.

Wow. To hubby.

And when I first met him, I knew it was for life.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That was it. Amazing.

And I just want that for Abi as well.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

The times I've spent with her crying on the sofa

because she attracts the men

that love themselves and seem to think

that putting a woman down keeps them in place. Right.

And then the last thing I want is to be upset

by some arrogant person that comes along.

I don't want that for Abigail.

I know that Abi's mum means a lot to her,

so I want to really cement that I'm the right person for her daughter.

So there's huge pressure on it.

I mean, what do you need from a son-in-law?

Loyalty.

Supportive.

They're all qualities that I feel like I have in myself.

I just want someone to love her as much as we do.

Yeah, of course. Yeah, yeah. Make her feel secure.

Yeah, that's what I want is to show her that,

look, you've got absolutely nothing to worry about, I'm all in.

Are you prepared to move to where Abi is or...

Yeah. I've said that I'd be open to moving. Yeah?

Yeah. For me now, the priority

is finding someone to share my life with.

So, if that means, you know, moving... Uprooting.

Yeah, of course I would do that. That's good.

You are such a smiley person like Abigail.

Yeah, yeah.

I've noticed that. She smiles all the time when she talks. Yeah.

Do you give John the seal of approval?

Yes. Honestly, that is massive.

Yeah? That's huge. I feel I can trust you.

Oh, good. Good. You don't know how much that means.

We've only spent the day together,

so I'll show you so much more that you can trust me.

That's what I want to hear.

I really will.

I have seen my daughter light up.

He seems a genuine, really decent person.

My concerns have been put to rest.

Abi and John are a great match. It's going to be a success.

Cheers to that. THEY LAUGH

How good does this look? Stunning. Oh, my gosh.

Beautiful.

Oh. How do you think today's gone?

Honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better wedding day. Aw.

I've had the best time. It's been amazing.

When you read your vows, I was like, wow,

that's exactly what I'm looking for.

There's something so much more than your

physical beauty as well. Yeah.

Like, for you, I feel like the whole package is there.

That's nice. That's good!

Yeah, that's kind of like a weight off my mind.

Obviously, it's just scary

because I just don't want to get hurt.

I think that's what I'm worried about

because I feel like I've been cheated on,

I've been lied to. Like, my guard is definitely up,

kind of like since then.

And I'm coming into this with an open heart and open mind.

But I want to make sure that you are

in this 100% for the right reasons.

I'm in it for the right reasons.

I'm looking for love, I'm looking for a family.

Definitely. Have you been in love before?

I don't think I have.

I always felt like I was the odd one out or weird

because I haven't been in love.

I didn't think there would be a man

that's similar to me, like in my situation.

So, it's insane to think that you seem...

You literally seem that guy!

I think this is it. Not to scare you or anything.

That doesn't scare me, that excites me.

Could this be the person that I absolutely fall in love with?

And, yes, right now I think you could be.

Oh, I'm glad. We're going to have so much fun.

I'm so excited!

ABI LAUGHS

This has been the perfect start to my life with Abi.

She's beautiful to look at, she's family orientated.

I'm ready to give Abi that commitment.

This day has been the most magical day.

It's surpassed all my expectations.

If my mum and dad approve, I know that he's a decent guy.

Is this my happily ever after?

I think I have met my Prince Charming.

Next time...

..In-Laws Week continues.

An inquisitive mother...

So, have you had sex? When was the last time you had anal?

..gets more than she bargained for.

No, not that. Like just sex in general.

And protective friends...

I don't agree with people that shout to communicate.

Did I not take accountability for it?

I think you didn't.

..pull Julia-Ruth and Divarni further apart.

This isn't normal.

And two new singles... Getting married will change my life.

It's just that final piece of the puzzle.

..meet and marry at first sight. Hello.

But an overexcited bride... Argh!

She's 100 miles an hour. ..rings alarm bells for her groom.

I hope it doesn't turn to 1,000 miles an hour.

Buckle up, cos he's in for a good ride.