When florist Rozz Darlington said “I do” to Thomas Kriaras on Married At First Sight UK , they quickly became fan favourites. After weeks of trying to make things work, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Rozz emotionally ended the relationship in the show’s penultimate week.
However, talking exclusively with OK! , the former couple assured us that they are the “real winners” as they left MAFS UK with such a close bond.
“We absolutely do love and respect each other and have a beautiful, amazing friendship. We’ve both grown hugely as people through the experiment,” says 28-year-old Rozz about her time with Thomas, 27, who works in investment communications.
Delving back into their journey, the duo update us on what has happened since parting ways, the pressure they felt behind the scenes, and how the show almost “broke” them…
Hi, guys! What has been the reaction to your MAFS UK story?
Rozz: It’s fair to say the public hasn’t been my biggest fan, which I understand. It’s part of being on TV. But at the same time, I still have mental health and we are still human beings. During the show, I was so vulnerable, scared and upset. I was broken and the viewers try to break you even more. The outcome was horrible and I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart for the way it all happened, Tom. I was so worried about hurting you.
Thomas: I can honestly say that you have nothing to be sorry for, ever. You did nothing wrong and I will die on that hill. I didn’t understand the negative reaction because you’re allowed to change your mind in a relationship. To come for someone who was being truthful, honest and kind is completely disgusting. People need to sort themselves out. I was never angry with Rozz, I was just sad that something was ending.
Rozz, how are you dealing with the trolling now?
Rozz: I had to get a new phone number because it was linked to my business and people were texting my phone with hate. I am understanding, but part of my personality is that when people say things, I believe them. So, then I start thinking, “I am a horrible person.” It gets to you, but I started going to therapy after the show, and I have great friends and family, and Tom.
Thomas: Rozz called me last night upset and that really hurt me because she’s amazing. The reason I’ve come out and supported Rozz and why I still care about her is due to her heart and her character. She is such a wonderful person.
How are things now?
Rozz: We’re great friends – my sister even calls him “Uncle Thomas” when she’s talking to her kids, they text all the time.
Thomas: I’m forever the brother-in-law, Rozz will always be my wife. When she gets married and has kids, I’ll still be here. We’re seeing each other this week and Rozz has agreed to come to my graduation for my master’s degree.
How did you find the experiment as a whole?
Rozz: I think you could tell that Thomas and I were TV virgins!
Thomas: Your life is your relationship, it’s so intense. But It was 100% real, we didn’t fake one thing. During Love/Hate Week, one of the producers tried to get me to put Rozz’s “brutal honesty” as one of my hates about her, but I refused. We focused on ourselves and the relationship. In doing that, we won because we had the most amazing friendship and huge amounts of growth.
You split during Homestays Week, so what was going home together like?
Thomas: If we hadn’t done the homestay, we would have made it into the outside world. But, because of the intensity of everything, it didn’t just break Rozz – I was on the verge too. For Rozz, when we got to her house, it all just hit her. Her ex-partner’s mail was in the house, it was the first time a man had ever been in that bed with her other than her ex. It was like the haunting of a past relationship and I completely understood, I couldn’t go to the same restaurant that I used to go to with my ex for a year after we split. It’s hard.
Rozz: Up until that point we’d lived in this bubble as part of the experiment. Going home made me realise that Tom wasn’t paramount in my thoughts. In the real world, it would be a slower process. In there, you’re married and thinking about kids, it’s so intense.
Thomas: Rozz then said she didn’t want kids with me, and I was shocked because I wasn’t even thinking about that. I thought we could go to Nando’s or something when the experiment was over!
What was it like having to do the ceremony despite having ended things?
Thomas: I didn’t want to be there. They were trying to convince me to write “stay” for the experiment, but I wouldn’t. I promised Rozz that if she was ever going to write “leave”, I would too.
Rozz: I was genuinely not OK. I was crying every day, and I met up with Tom off-camera and was having a panic attack. I couldn’t find the words. I felt a certain amount of pressure that I owed an explanation to everyone, out of respect. It was terrible.
If you could go back and do it all over again, would you?
Thomas: I would. I gained so much and I’m so grateful to have Rozz, I’d never want to lose her.
Rozz: I would too, I don’t regret meeting Tom one bit.
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