MAFS's first transgender bride Ella praises show: “Love Island would never"

Ahead of her MAFS debut, the 29-year-old opened up about her decision to join the show, praising Channel 4 for giving her the opportunity as a trans woman when other dating shows like ITV2's Love Island "would never".

Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press, Ella said: "It's a lot of pressure that I've put on myself. But again, I can't speak for everyone, my journey is different from all the other trans girls I know. There's similarities in it, but I feel like Channel 4 gave me this opportunity to be a voice.

"And for me, it's been a long time coming! Like Love Island would never have someone like me on that show because it's so mainstream and it's always that typical type of boy and girl. When Channel 4 asked me, I never thought in a million years that I'd get asked to. It's a lot of pressure."

Love Island has previously spoken about the show's lack of sexual diversity, stating that including gay contestants presents “a logistical difficulty".

In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, ITV commissioner Amanda Stavri, responded to rumours that the 2021 season of Love Island would include contestants from the LGBTQ community.

"In terms of gay Islanders, I think the main challenge is regarding the format of Love Island. There's a sort of logistical difficulty, because although Islanders don't have to be 100 per cent straight, the format must sort of give [the] Islanders an equal choice when coupling up," she said.

"With our dating shows, such as The Cabins, there is much more sexual diversity. The formats don't have as much restrictions as Love Island. So we're very sort of mindful of that across our programming on ITV and dating series. But that's the difficulty with Love Island."

While Love Island contestants aren't strictly required to identify as heterosexual, the format of the ITV2 dating show typically promotes relationships with the opposite sex, with cisgender boys and girls choosing to couple up with one another ahead of each dumping.

Ella is hoping her stint on Married at First Sight, which kicks off on Monday 18th September on E4, will change the public's perception about dating trans people.

Read more:

• Davina McCall reveals some contestants left My Mum, Your Dad after revelation
• Love Island fans call for format change amid same-sex USA pairing
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Asked why she decided to take part in the E4 dating show, Ella explained: "For me, my experience was probably a bit different just because with my transition, I can't really be picky - as much as I've got my type (Joel Corry)."

She continued: "My transition obviously means for me personally, society isn't really at a point. I've only ever dated straight guys and I will continue to just date straight guys, but for this experiment, I was open minded and I still am open minded. So I was very lucky that I've got the husband I've got.

"But I think for me, I thought I can't be picky because most guys aren't willing to tell their friends and family that their girlfriend Ella is trans. And I just thought, 'Okay, well, I'm never going to meet anyone then.' I've tried, and tried and tried, and I thought for me, the only way I was going to get married, let alone just get a boyfriend, was by doing something like this.

"My parents weren't that shocked because I have done some crazy stuff - my transition is pretty big in itself - but I think the only way I was ever going to find someone was by putting myself out there and let someone else do the picking."

Speaking of her dating history, Ella added: "I've had a lot of guys interested, but as soon as they find out about me or it gets to a serious stage, they kind of cut it off because they're like 'I'm a bit embarrassed by you. I don't want to tell my family and friends' and I don't want to be someone's dirty secret!

"I feel like people aren't educated these days. I feel like they need the education. I don't want to harp on about it, I'd rather watch the show and see that I'm just as normal and relatable as these girls, and hopefully people will feel they can talk openly or date trans girls whether pre-op or post-op. Mine's just because guys don't really accept me and I don't want to be someone's fetish."

Married at First Sight UK 2023 starts on E4 on Monday 18th September at 9pm. Past seasons are also available to stream on Channel 4. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our hub for more Entertainment news.

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