MAFS UK STAR Paul Carrick Brunson has hit back after being dad-shamed for his controversial parenting stance.
The popular TV star, 49, is one of the professional matchmakers hired by the Channel 4 show to pair up the married couples.
He, along with Mel Schilling and Charlene Douglas, are in charge of helping the MAFS couples to get closer and develop healthy relationships as the show progresses.
Paul is happily married to wife Jill, and together they have two kids, Liam and Kingston.
But how he views his approach to marriage and his children, caused a stir recently when he suggested that married couples should put the happiness of their partner over that of their own kids.
Paul shared his view in a post on Instagram which read: “I love my children with all my heart but my marriage has priority over them… Putting your spouse as first priority doesn’t mean you don’t love your children.
“Instead it means you love them so much that you’re willing to keep your priorities in the most effective order for your union and children.
“People have pushed back on me for years about this, and while I can see exceptions (for instance, in a blended family), I have not budged from this idea (and neither has my wife).”
Paul has now hit back after he received a backlash on his view, and was dad-shamed on Instagram.
Speaking on ITV‘s Lorraine, he said: “Don’t think of prioritisation of what happens at the top, it’s the bottom.
“Your relationship is the foundation upon which everything builds. If you have a strong union, a strong communication, your children have strong communication typically. If you have the ability to solve conflict, then you’re children have a better chance at resolving conflict.”
He added: “To me, your marriage is a foundation. A strong foundation means a stronger chance for your children to be emotionally adjusted and just healthy.”
Ranvir Singh – who was filling in for host Lorraine Kelly – then asked the couple what they would do if they had a date in their diary for months and then they learned their children were to star in a school play at the same time.
Paul’s wife Jill, who joined him on the ITV show’s sofa, took the question and revealed something similar had happened to them in the past.
She admitted: “This is actually something that has come up for us, something very similar.
“Of course we are going to go to that play and support our child, always.
“But, we’re not going to neglect our time together either, so we go to that play and then afterward we make sure the kids are in bed and then we set up a modified date night.”
It comes after Paul recently admitted “MAFS needed to do better” after a viewer branded the programme a “sham”.
In his balanced reply acknowledged that the experts need to do better, but also hit out in defence of the reality show.
He wrote: “I read nearly all of your comments, take notes on areas we need to improve, and share them with production as well as the channel.
“That said, I believe the show strikes a balance. MAFS UK delivers more relationships than any other dating/love show and our viewership continues to grow.
“So, do we need to do better, yes. Are we a sham, far from it.”
However, it seems that fans of the show were not convinced by his rebuttal.
One disheartened watcher wrote: “The idea of disagreeing with you breaks my heart (I literally love you and not in an inappropriate way) but on this occasion I have to say no. Not anymore.
“It used to be. Now it’s clearly slipped into a ‘viewing numbers’ focused format. It’ll be my last series.”
Another argued: “Any relationship show that welcomes cheaters back as a new couple is absolutely a sham. It has ruined it this year.”
Their comment comes after Ella was welcomed back onto MAFS after a cheating scandal where she left the man the experts paired her with in favour of another husband.
