Married at First Sight UK is back on our TV screens and the first Commitment Ceremony on Thursday evening showed the couples sitting down on the couch to discuss any challenges they’ve experienced so far, and ultimately decide whether they want to stay or leave the experiment.

Over the past year, data has shown that search trends for ‘Married at First Sight UK 2023’ have risen by +6838%, showing that the public have been looking forward to the highly anticipated eighth season.

There are obvious issues that need to be addressed between many of the couples. Therefore, Mecca Bingo spoke with body language expert and leading transformational coach, Noor Hibbert, to uncover the couples’ body language and conflicts, as well as revealing the couples she sees going the distance.

Noor mentioned:

“It’s super interesting to see the dynamics of the relationships straight away, because within moments you can really start to see what’s happening.”

When commenting about Nathanial and Ella, Noor explained:

“With Nathanial and Ella’s conversation that got very heated, very quickly, you can see quite evidently early on that Nathaniel starts to shift and his body starts to change, and you can see he feels like he’s threatened. He starts getting taller and bigger, and he’s starting to point, and he’s going into fight or flight. Ella’s response causes him to blow up and you could see that he was visibly very angry and triggered by the conversation that had just happened. And then at the end, he’s sat there almost kind of like a teenage boy, a bit in disbelief and doesn’t know how to deal with that.

Both of them want love, and you can see the stress melt out of their body when they realise that they both want to make it work. It was an emotional release of relief for them both, however if they don’t address the fundamental issues below the surface, it will continue to reoccur. They’re both triggering each other, which could lead to them being stuck in a cycle of fight or flight. Their body language is promising at times such as when they held hands after apologising on the couch, but they both have unresolved issues causing conflict between them.”

As for Thomas and Ros, Noor points out:

“Thomas looked quite vulnerable and like he was vying for attention from Ros and you could see she was adamantly looking down and trying not to make contact. You could feel the tension through the TV screen that was happening between the two. He was feeling vulnerable and closed off, but equally wanted the attention from Ros, but she was showing signs of what looked like shame. They sit apart from each other on the couch, and you can again feel the tension.”

Noor delved into Terence and Porscha’s relationship:

“After Terence and Porscha’s argument, Terence’s body language showed he felt very disheartened, almost wanting an answer from Porscha but couldn’t quite find one. Despite them smiling when talking about their wedding day, they also seemed distant and abrupt, and Porscha rolling her eyes showed frustration.

It’s evident with Porscha’s tears that the situation triggered her values, sense of identity and who she believed she was; when Terence questioned her belief system, this caused an internal identity crisis at a subconscious level. Porscha sees this as a threat and her body appears to go into fight or flight. Fundamentally, there’s a disconnect.”

As for Arthur and Laura, and Shona and Brad, Noor highlighted:

“Arthur was very open, but this shifted when Laura said he’s the opposite to what she wanted and you can also see this in her body language being tight, which shows there’s not quite something there for her yet and a sense of her looking down on him a bit. Laura softened and there was a shift of dynamic once there was recognition about the reason behind why he’d not written his own vows.”

It’s feeling very promising between Shona and Brad, as their body language is very open and you can feel a loving tactile energy between them, especially with the way he holds her. However, Shona tensed up when they spoke about intimacy with the experts, and this may be an issue if this plays out later after the honeymoon phase.”

After Peggy’s sister being apprehensive about Georges at their wedding, Noors described that:

“Peggy and Georges seemed promising when they were holding hands, and throughout the conversation, they kept their hands held together. Georges and his online gaming triggered something in Peggy that she’s experienced in the past and it seems to be playing in the back of her mind.

I think this can be resolved and they could potentially go the distance, if these internal issues are addressed. If not addressed, more things will come up and create this same emotional response in Peggy. Their body is saying, yes, we’re here for each other and I can see there is a powerful connection between them.”

In terms of the couples Noor sees as most promising, she comments:

“As soon as Tasha and Paul sat down with the experts, I could see their open, loving and warm body language and the way they were tactile and looking at each other – there’s a warmth and genuine connection between them. You could feel the energy between them and the way that they laughed and joked as though they’d been a married couple for decades, that was very telling straight away.

Jay and Luke also had a warm energy around them, and their body language showed genuine connection, and as if they’d been a couple for years. Even though he’s more tactile than her, her face lit up when he spoke and there’s a genuine strong foundation that I can sense.”

Noor explains about the most and least promising couples:

“Based on the first Commitment Ceremony and their body language, the lowest contenders are Porscha and Terence, Ros and Thomas, Ella and Nathanial, and Laura and Arthur. What could go either way, is Brad and Shona, in addition to Georges and Peggy, as there would need to be some deep work before they can move forwards and create a long-lasting relationship.

The highest contenders based on body language to go forward and continue building strong relationships are Tasha and Paul, and Jay and Luke. However, there’s still things to deal with within these couples too.”