MAFS UK star Grace opens up on failed marriage to Ashley

Married At First Sight UK's Ashley and Grace have opened up about their tumultuous marriage, which saw numerous clashes leading to its eventual breakdown.

The pair endured a rocky partner swap week and an intense dinner party before parting ways for homestays.

Ashley made the decision to remove his wedding ring, and both were noticeably absent from the final commitment ceremony.

However, they've now shed light on their absences in candid chats with experts Mel Schilling, Paul C Brunson, and Charlene White.

In separate heartfelt discussions, both Ashley and Grace delved into the deterioration of their relationship and what the future might hold, reports OK!.

"Whenever I tried to speak about what was happening, I felt Ash was quick to deflect," Grace revealed, referring to previous commitment ceremonies.

"I lost my voice almost, I didn't feel confident in what I was saying," she continued.

On the other hand, Ashley alleged that Grace labelled him a "misogynistic, not great guy," adding: "I felt like there's not much more I can do here to get her to see who I am."

He expressed feeling as though he was being portrayed as "a bad person" and believed he needed to "prove himself" to her.

Grace then shared an incident involving Ashley, where his intended compliment was taken differently by her.

She then alleged he would try and unlock the door while she was in the bathroom, leaving her "panicking".

"He wanted the kind of marriage where it's familiar, but we were strangers," she said, though Ashley defended himself, saying it happened once and he meant it "playfully".

"I didn't do it maliciously, going in there, it would be playful," he insisted, before recognising he shouldn't have done it.

"It was impossible for me to navigate," he said.

Summarising her situation, Grace said: "I came in and married a stranger, Ash came in and married a wife."

In an earlier episode, Ashley confessed that he and Grace might be "too different", while she broke down in tears and claimed she'd seen a side of Ashley that no one else had.

She also accused him of making her feel like she was the "problem" and that their marriage was "doomed".

"I would sit on that couch, hear him twisting things to be more positive and favourable to him. Sometimes, I take issue with him about something, and he'd be like, 'No, I didn't, and I'd be like, Well, how do I argue with you now?" she said.

"I felt really isolated," she continued, getting emotional as she spoke about her self-doubt and questioned whether she'd misunderstood their relationship.

"Why am I the only person who sees him this way? No, he is doing this, he wants me to feel apologetic, contrived, he wants to be begged for forgiveness so he can feel in control. It's the self-doubt that's getting me down," she cried. "I've had enough."

Meanwhile, Ashley admitted that he and Grace weren't "in the best place", adding: "We've both put so much into this, I don't know what to do, every relationship takes compromise, but we've both compromised and now we're at a stage where she's now what I need and I'm not what she needs.

"I do have feelings for her, and I do care for her, but I need Grace to be a different person, and I feel like she needs me to be a different person."

Removing his wedding ring and expressing that he feels "out of options", Ashley added: "I can't physically do any more to prove to her who I am as a person."

Married At First Sight UK is available to watch on Channel 4.