THEY first met when Paul Carrick-Brunson set Nikita Jasmine up with a stranger who she married moments later.
Now they’ve been reunited as Nikita gives finding love another go on Celebs Go Dating.
But after her failed relationship on Married At First Sight, there were fears it could be awkward.
The Geordie star was axed from the series after just one week following her explosive outbursts at other cast members including husband Ant Poole.
Last night Paul, 47, cringed as Nikita “threw him under a bus” while on a date.
She told her love interest he’d “got it wrong” on MAFS, saying: “I mean, he was a good looking lad but personality wise, he was just dead.
“He had no banter at all! We had loads of rows, we disagreed on stuff, it was a bit of a shambles.
“Obviously I worked with Paul, he was the love expert on Married At First Sight, he matched me with my husband and he never listened to what I asked for!”
One viewer said: “Nikita loves slagging off Paul.”
Another added: “That shade to Paul from Nikita.”
But ending rumours of a feud, Nikita told The Sun: “Me and Paul had a really close bond on Married at First Sight, during the series and when it ended.
“Coming onto Celebs Go Dating I was buzzing because we already had that connection.
“Anna said out of all the celebrities, Paul hasn’t been close to any of the celebrities but me.
“It’s made us feel more comfortable.”
When quizzed on their relationship since Married At First Sight ended, Paul insisted Nikita had made “huge progress”.
But he believes her failed relationships are caused by the 26-year-old “not being ready”.
“I’ve adored Nikita from the first moment I talked to her,” he told us.
“When I talked to her family, I realised how much of a passionate, energised, loyal person she is.
“Even though she believes we don’t quite get it right, it’s because she’s not quite ready for a committed relationship and doesn’t realise this yet – at least in the first few episodes.
“By the end of this journey you’ll see she begins to realise and dismantle the list. For her to start to remove some of those items on that list shows how much progress we’ve made.”
Commenting on Nikita’s fiery reputation from MAFS, Paul’s co-star Anna Williamson said she was pleased she’s been given the chance to show off her softer side on Celebs Go Dating.
“She’s a fireball,” admits Anna.
“Her biggest lesson I hope she’s taken from here is to listen.
“She took a lot of heat from being on MAFS. Seeing this young lady she experienced I was relaly pleased to be seen a little bit more because there is a lot more to her than this fireball who screams and shouts.
“Yes she is probably the loudest person I have ever met in my entire life but there’s a lot more to her.
“She has a marshmallow heart.”
