The producers of the hit Channel 4 show Married at First Sight are on the hunt for new singles to take part in the next series - and they're after people from Leeds to take part.
If you think you've got what it takes to 'marry' someone you've never met before on live TV, well then this could be the perfect way to find your ideal love match.
All you need to do now is apply.
E4 has put out a casting call this week asking “all singles” to get in touch.
Encouraging brave singles to apply, E4 said in a post to Twitter: “Is this the year you’ll find your true love?
“We want YOU to apply for the next potential series of Married at First Sight UK.”
First airing in 2015, the UK version of the reality series – which is based on its Australian counterpart – seems to always have the nation gripped whenever it’s on, but in case you’re unfamiliar with the show, Married at First Sight UK basically matches couples based on ‘scientific’ and ‘sociological ‘factors.
A team of experts with backgrounds in psychology, psychotherapy, anthropology, and theology fuse their professional knowledge to create matches for successful relationships.
Six consenting participants are selected from over 200 applicants looking for long-term love, and the chosen couples agree to get married with no knowledge about their suitor.
Meeting for the first time at the altar, each pair is filmed for a period of six weeks after saying “I do”, and then, when the time is up, the married couple must choose whether they will stay together or go their separate ways.
Series six of the show aired last year, and saw eight couples go into the experiment saying yes to their marriage.
Only three of those couples ended up making it all the way through to come out the other side and stay together past the reunion – Dan and Matt, Adam and Tayah, and Frankie and Marilyse, the latter of which unfortunately split later after the show aired – but this year, E4 is hoping to make even more happy couples, and is keen for brace Mancunian singles to get their applications in.
Married at First Sight basically matches couples based on ‘scientific’ and ‘sociological ‘factors / Credit: E4
So if you’re fed up of dating apps, and you’re looking for a more unconventional way to meet your soulmate, then how about letting the expert matchmaking team at Married at First Sight UK take over and find your future partner?
You can apply here.
Featured Image – E4
Leeds
No Greek Tragedy, just indie bangers – The Wombats set Leeds’ First Direct Arena alight
The Wombats aren’t just still going strong - they’re getting better. And honestly? Long may they reign.
The Wombats absolutely tore the roof off the First Direct Arena in Leeds last night, Wednesday 26 March and what a night it was.
From the second they hit the stage it wasn’t just a gig, it was a full-blown indie-pop spectacle, packed with infectious energy, nostalgia, and a whole lot of dancing.
They kicked things off with “Moving to New York,” and honestly? The crowd was in from the first note.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Matthew Murphy’s unmistakable vocals rang through the arena and suddenly, thousands of people were screaming every lyric like it was 2007 all over again. It was one of those moments where you could just feel how much this band still means to people.
Despite the massive venue, The Wombats somehow made it feel intimate. The lights? Pure chaos in the best way - vibrant, colourful, and totally in sync with the band’s wild, bouncy sound.
Murphy’s cheeky banter between songs made it feel less like a polished arena show and more like a jam session with a few thousand of your closest mates.
Setlist-wise, they nailed it. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” and “Greek Tragedy” had the whole place losing it, while the stripped-down version of “Techno Fan” gave everyone a minute to breathe (and maybe get a little emotional).
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Those quieter moments just made the high-energy choruses hit even harder. It was a rollercoaster - in the best way possible.
Then came the encore. If you thought the crowd was loud before, “Kill the Director” took things to another level. Pure, chaotic indie bliss. The kind of moment you don’t want to end.
Here’s the thing about The Wombats: some might say their older songs hit harder than their newer stuff, but is that just nostalgia talking? Or maybe it’s a generational thing?
Either way, they proved they’re still one of the most exciting live bands out there. They’ve still got the hooks, the humour, and the ability to turn a massive arena into a sweaty, euphoric singalong.
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
Danny Jones
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
The Hoot -
28th January 2022 
