Married at First Sight: Newlywed says he’s ‘terrified’ to move in with wife for Covid-19 lockdown

A newlywed groom admits he is ‘terrified’ after moving in with his new bride to spend lockdown together just one week after meeting for the first time and tying the knot on Channel 4’s Married at First Sight.

Primary school teacher Michelle, 25, from Hastings, tied the knot to stranger Owen, 31, from Sheffield, days before the nation was plunged into lockdown in March of this year.

Despite only knowing one another for a week, they chose to self isolate together moving from Brighton to a Owen’s mother’s empty house in Horsham. 

Owen admits: ‘It’s exciting because obviously I get to keep living with my wife but nerve-wracking, terrifying, because she’s only been my wife and I only met her a week and a bit ago.’  

Owen, 31, from Sheffield, admits he is ‘terrified’ at the thought of moving in with his new bride Michelle, 25, from Hastings, to spend lockdown together just one week  after meeting for the first time and tying the knot on Channel 4’s Married at First Sight

After marrying at a lavish ceremony at Eastwell Manor in Ashford Kent, the couple enjoyed a week-long honeymoon together before deciding to move in together in Brighton. 

Michelle reveals she is nervous about moving in with Owen, saying: ‘I’ve never lived with a partner before so I hope my messy habits don’t scare him off.’

She adds: ‘It feels a little bit daunting because I’ve hardly known Owen for very long and there is nowhere to hide when you live with someone.’ 

But just 24 hours after the couple move in, the nation went into lockdown, with Michelle telling the camera: ‘So coronavirus is a thing. It’s unconventional. Not really what we expected I think.’

Appearing on the programme tonight, the couple move in to Owen's mother's home days after the UK was placed into lockdown in March

Appearing on the programme tonight, the couple move in to Owen’s mother’s home days after the UK was placed into lockdown in March 

Owen adds: ‘Slightly intense. But then we only got married last week so what’s the worst that can happen?’

The couple decide to isolate together, with Owen revealing: ‘We just got to my mother’s house. She’s at her holiday home with her husband for self quarantine reasons. It’s a bigger house and it has a garden.’

The couple are in lockdown together for a month before Michelle joins matchmaker Jen for a Zoom call to discuss their relationship.

She confides in the matchmaker that she is still feeling insecure about the relationship, saying: ‘I think he is great. My only worries are to do with myself and whether I measure up. 

The couple spent three months living with one another in Owen's mothers home while the Covid-19 pandemic raged across the country

The couple spent three months living with one another in Owen’s mothers home while the Covid-19 pandemic raged across the country 

‘That’s the fear. I think he’s very secure but I’m a bit more anxious.’

And Michelle says she can’t understand why Owen would be smitten with her, Jen urges her to ‘just accept it.’

Michelle confesses: ‘I’m not 100 per cent secure in myself. I’ve never had a proper serious adult relationship. 

‘At the moment it’s scaring me a bit. In the past my relationships, I felt like I had to take control a lot of the time, whereas this is in the other way.’ 

During a Zoom session, Michelle confides in matchmaker Jen that the relationship is going 'really, really well' but says she is still feeling anxious about how Owen feels

During a Zoom session, Michelle confides in matchmaker Jen that the relationship is going ‘really, really well’ but says she is still feeling anxious about how Owen feels 

Six weeks into the process, the couple reflect on lockdown life as newlyweds, with Michelle saying: ‘We’ve been so lucky we’ve been able to spend this time together.’

Owen adds: ‘It’s just been one of the best things that has happened to me.’

Michelle explains: ‘I don’t think I’ve really felt this way before. Coming in to this I just didn’t expect to love you as much as I do.’

Owen tells the camera: ‘Dropping the L bomb is quite a big one but it felt right and I genuinely do love Michelle.’ 

Over dinner, Owen leaves Michelle reeling as he confesses he is concerned about how they will adjust to normal life after leaving lockdown

Over dinner, Owen leaves Michelle reeling as he confesses he is concerned about how they will adjust to normal life after leaving lockdown 

Three months into the experiment, Owen and Michelle celebrate with a special date night.

But the couple face up to the daunting prospect of parting ways with work commitments drawing them back to their respective towns of Hastings and Sheffield. 

Owen says: ‘I think we’re really lucky with this lockdown. But after lockdown, our lives are going to change again.’ 

He tells the camera: ‘I am worried the thoughts and feelings might change. Are we going to continue acting and behaving as we have done over lockdown? Or are we going to question how we feel?’

Meanwhile Michelle is left hurt when he explains: ‘My only concern about us is, is this is it a lockdown which has kept us together because we know we have to be?’

She wakes up feeling uncertain after the dinner conversation, saying: ‘I was surprised that he said that.

The couple's marriage was quickly put to the test when the Covid-19 crisis hit days after the wedding and they ended up moving in together at Owen's mother's home

The couple’s marriage was quickly put to the test when the Covid-19 crisis hit days after the wedding and they ended up moving in together at Owen’s mother’s home

‘I know I really like him and I’m a lot more open about how I feel. He’s more of a closed book. It does feel vulnerable. I was shocked because I thought he was on the same page as me.’ 

The day Michelle and Owen leave their lockdown home, the couple say they’re both worried about the future.

Owen says: ‘I will miss her a lot but my biggest worry is I’m not very good at showing that.’

Meanwhile Michelle admits: ‘I have only ever known him in this bubble when we’ve been together. It’s tricky to know what he is going to be like. It’ll be interesting to see if we have been true to ourselves.’

‘Real life is now kicking in and I don’t know how our relationship is going to change because of that.’ 

Married At First Sight is on Channel 4, Tuesday at 9:30pm