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IT was a telly moment that tore through the heart of women up and down the country - and one Sun Agony Aunt Sally Land has seen too many times in real life.

MAFS contestant Polly Sellman, 28, choked back tears as her new husband Adam Nightingale cruelly admitted he didn't fancy her after they had sex on their wedding night.

Polly said Adam was her type but he wasn't sure about her figure
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Polly said Adam was her type but he wasn't sure about her figure
Viewers were outraged by Adam's comments about his bride
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Viewers were outraged by Adam's comments about his brideCredit: Eroteme

After meeting his blushing bride at the altar, Adam said: "The initial attraction's not 100 percent there. She's not my usual type. 10 out of 10 for me would be petite, brunette, dark features, tan. She's not what I expected."

In scenes that were hard to watch - and which Sally dissects as part of our Celebs on the Couch series below - he disrespected the stunning redhead by labelling her a 'four out of 10' and saying he was looking for a "petite brunette" who resembled Megan Fox or Brassic actress Michelle Keegan.

But he's not the only groom to cause a stir.

Since the show came back onto our screens two weeks ago, the grooms have been labelled some of the most 'savage' contestants to date, brutally rejecting their brides AND criticising their looks.

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Bride Emma Barnes was left sobbing: "I’m a size 14. I’m not a f***ing monster," after her husband Caspar Todd put down her looks saying he didn't usually go for 'curves', despite opening up about struggling with his own body image.

The head gardener made his feelings known to Emma during their honeymoon - telling the sales manager that he didn't find her "sexy" and was "not attracted to her" - whilst also whinging: "This is really hard for me."

Both men have been slated by viewers, with one furious fan slamming groom Adam's rejection of Polly saying: "Imagine [being] the guy who is giving Susan Boyle with veneers sitting across from this beautiful lady and not being satisfied".

And another added: "Anyone with any history of ED or body dysmorphia, please skip #MAFSUK this year.

"[It's] highly triggering as these beautiful and confident women are reduced to dress size by mediocre men who have misplaced superiority complexes."

The comments come amid a rise in male misogyny fuelled by influencers like Andrew Tate and women still struggling with body confidence and accepting themselves.

Watch as Polly breaks down in tears AGAIN after MAFS UK groom Adam awkwardly admits he STILL can’t say he fancies her

Here, in part two of our Celebs on the Couch series, Dear Deidre Agony Aunt Sally Land, reveals how you should navigate your concerns if you don't physically find your other half attractive - and delves into the disturbing reasons Adam and Casper may feel the way they do...

Caspar stunned viewers when he frankly told wife Emma - who is a size 14 - that he didn't find 'curves' attractive
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Caspar stunned viewers when he frankly told wife Emma - who is a size 14 - that he didn't find 'curves' attractive
Emma had spent £100 on a bikini to feel sexy in when Caspar made the comments
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Emma had spent £100 on a bikini to feel sexy in when Caspar made the commentsCredit: Eroteme

Married at First Sight's best moments

Married at First sight has brought eight explosive series of drama to the small screen. These are some of the best moments

  • When series 8 couple Rozz Darlington and Thomas Kriaras brought secretly brought a sex toy to the couple's dinner party. Unbeknownst to their fellow cast members who they were having dinner with, Rozz wore a vibrating egg gadget whilst husband Thomas had the controls.
  • Nikita’s exit in series 6. Nikita was removed from the show early on due to her behaviour, which led to her husband Ant re-entering the experiment with Alexis.
  • A slightly more heart warming highlight from series 6 was watching Dan and Matt's relationship unfold. Dan and Matt were the first same-sex couple on the show, and their relationship was both ground-breaking and adorable.
  • Emma and James’ wedding in series 1. They were the first couple to ever get married on the UK version of the show. Emma and James, had a beautiful ceremony that set the tone for the series.
  • The dinner party showdowns are always a MAFs highlight with explosive arguments and unexpected alliances forming.

SALLY SAYS: We live in image-obsessed times and while none of us can fake an attraction, discounting people who don’t fit into narrow ideals like Adam and Caspar have is the fastest way to end relationships.

Putting down your partner for their looks not only reflects your own insecurities but is also very damaging for your partner's self-esteem and mental health.

With the ready availability of so much free porn, many men in particular have developed completely unrealistic expectations of what their partners should look like. 

Exposed to heavily edited, airbrushed and surgically enhanced adult performers, many men expect the women they date to look exactly the same.

But of course these films are about creating a fantasy and are in no way reflective of real life.

Having sex is such a personal and intimate act, and for many people exposing your body to another is in itself enough to make them feel intensely vulnerable.

So rejection so soon after this nerve-wracking milestone will cut particularly deeply.

Adam's desire for a Michelle Keegan lookalike caused tears for his bride
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Adam's desire for a Michelle Keegan lookalike caused tears for his bride
Emma broke down in tears during the first commitment ceremony of the season
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Emma broke down in tears during the first commitment ceremony of the season

Just like fashion, different body shape ideals and looks come and go with the seasons.

But unlike the latest skinny, flared or boyfriend jeans you can’t simply ditch your curves because they are ‘out of date’.

Of course we can all get fitter and eat more healthily but our body shapes are more or less dictated by our genes.

So criticising your partner’s shape because you prefer ‘skinny’ isn’t going to magically achieve that - unless of course they make themselves very ill.

And anyone who genuinely cares for someone would only ever want the best for them.

As a society we are conditioned to expect men to constantly want sex, whenever it is on offer.

This assumption does a disservice to many men who genuinely want to get close and feel desired by their partner - not simply sex with any available woman.

But the reality is that sexual rejection can feel magnified for female partners who believe men should always want sex and especially when it’s on offer.

Mafs couples that have stood the test of time

Loved-up Tayah Victoria and Adam Aveling of series six fame had the first Mafs baby.

The pair couldn't keep their hands off each other on the programme and quickly found their feet in the outside world, moving into Adam's Doncaster home.

Just 18 months after meeting, the couple welcomed their daughter Beau.

Season five couple Michelle Walder and Owen Jenkins also managed to make their marriage work away from the cameras and had their first child in December.

Teacher Michelle, 29, has no regrets about taking part in the experiment. She told us: “I just feel very lucky and thankful that it has worked out - and excited for everything to come.”

Michelle and Owen were both sick of dating apps when they applied in 2019.

Owen recalled: “I had been out for some drinks with a friend after work.

"While he was out for a cigarette I was scrolling on Instagram waiting for him to come back in.

“The MAFS advert was the last thing I saw, and I joked, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if I signed up?’

“A few beers later when I was back at home I sent in the application, and the rest is history.”

Another couple to make Mafs UK history is Zoe Clifton and Jenna Robinson.

Despite a slight rocky start, where they clashed over Jenna's vegan lifestyle, the show's first same sex pairing are still going strong.

They even have a successful podcast together called Life With a Pod.

Jenna shed light on being involved in the show earlier this year when she told us: "We're not legally married, and I never felt like we were. I definitely feel the process makes you take the relationship a lot more seriously and having the help of the experts… if you can survive that process it sets a firm foundation for a long-lasting relationship."

For anyone who holds onto these unattainable ideals, not only are you seriously limiting your chances of meeting someone compatible, but you are also disregarding so many other important considerations like do you have similar life goals, common interests, do you like each other.

Marriage and long term relationships are hard enough when all those other boxes are ticked.

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By distracting yourself with a fantasy partner you really are setting yourself up for disaster.

If something is worrying you, write to my team of trained counsellors for free at [email protected] 

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