WITH drama-filled dinner parties, in-cast fighting and partner-swapping, it’s no wonder few survive the TV’s toughest dating experiment Married At First Sight UK.
Just six out of the 58 couples remain in relationship bliss today – and earlier this year fans of the hit E4 show were gobsmacked by the explosive break-up of one 2023 pairing.
On Valentine’s Day, Peggy Lawrence, 33, shared on social media that she was “absolutely heartbroken” over her split with Georges Berthonneau, adding: “Nobody is more upset about it than me.”
But within weeks the narrative drastically changed as she furiously alleged that he cheated with an ex-girlfriend and claimed someone online sent her proof.
Now, in what Georges says is “the last time I’m talking about Peggy”, for an exclusive interview with The Sun, he insists it was all lies and airs his suspicions that in fact, it was her who was unfaithful.
Not only that – he claims to have fought to win her back, that she once followed him to try to ‘catch him cheating’ and slams those clinging on to fame, denouncing them as “fakes and frauds” at a “cesspool, loser fest”.
Georges tells us: “I’ve got a message from Peggy’s ex-partner’s girlfriend, apparently she was begging for him back, buying him Christmas presents and meeting up with him.
“They had a bit of a hiccup and she said to him, ‘Why the f*** are you texting your ex?’
“That’s when she told me ‘You’ll be pleased to know when your contract is over with Peggy, she’s trying to get with my ex’. I was shocked.
“I looked for his Instagram handles online and couldn’t find them. He’s blocked all of my accounts. That’s a little fishy if you ask me.
“I’ve never brought this up before in public, I’ve kept it close to my chest out of respect but she just wants to keep burning me with all of this bulls***.
“For someone so squeaky clean, it’s a bit fishy. I wouldn’t cheat on Peggy or on anyone.”
Georges says he started to “have doubts” about their relationship in early to mid-December last year, fearing she was flirting with and visiting her ex – Peggy has denied any wrongdoing when approached by The Sun.
He suggested they go on a break back in January but just two days later was begging for her back – only for it to fall on deaf ears.
He says: “I realised I wanted to give it another go and work things out but she ran with it and was like ‘You split up with me’.
“I think she wanted me to end things so that she didn’t look like the bad person and yes I ended it but then I said I didn’t want it to end and that I was stupid.
“Looking back though I’m glad I plucked up the courage to call it quits because it was the best decision for my mental sanity, my mental health and my bank balance.”
Georges claims “none of Peggy’s story adds up” and claims she wasn’t invested in the relationship. He says she visited his home just three times in their 11 months of dating.
He hoped there was still a chance for reconciliation after they ‘went on a break’ and he was “blindsided” when she announced they were over on February 14.
Loved-up Tayah Victoria and Adam Aveling of series six fame had the first Mafs baby.
The pair couldn’t keep their hands off each other on the programme and quickly found their feet in the outside world, moving into Adam’s Doncaster home.
Just 18 months after meeting, the couple welcomed their daughter Beau.
Season five couple Michelle Walder and Owen Jenkins also managed to make their marriage work away from the cameras and had their first child in December.
Teacher Michelle, 29, has no regrets about taking part in the experiment. She told us: “I just feel very lucky and thankful that it has worked out – and excited for everything to come.”
Michelle and Owen were both sick of dating apps when they applied in 2019.
Owen recalled: “I had been out for some drinks with a friend after work.
“While he was out for a cigarette I was scrolling on Instagram waiting for him to come back in.
“The MAFS advert was the last thing I saw, and I joked, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if I signed up?’
“A few beers later when I was back at home I sent in the application, and the rest is history.”
Another couple to make Mafs UK history is Zoe Clifton and Jenna Robinson.
Despite a slight rocky start, where they clashed over Jenna’s vegan lifestyle, the show’s first same sex pairing are still going strong.
They even have a successful podcast together called Life With a Pod.
Jenna shed light on being involved in the show earlier this year when she told us: “We’re not legally married, and I never felt like we were. I definitely feel the process makes you take the relationship a lot more seriously and having the help of the experts… if you can survive that process it sets a firm foundation for a long-lasting relationship.”
Georges adds: “You only have to look at her actions. To announce we had split up on Valentine’s Day shows everything. She’s showing people what she wants them to see.
“She knew doing it then would cause traction, cause a scene and cause people to feel bad for her.
“I was still fighting to win her back on Valentine’s Day, I sent her cards, chocolates and flowers while she sent me nothing.”
Among the things Georges argues do not add up is her claim that he cheated over the Christmas period when he took a friend, who is married, to a Christmas party and stayed over the night in a hotel.
When Peggy couldn’t get a hold of him that night, she suspected he had an affair – which he adamantly denies.
Georges responds: “I got invited to an event with a plus-one because I was looking for management.
“As a thank you, I asked my friend who is married and I’ve known for many years. I’m allowed to have female friends. I’m not a homewrecker and I’m not a cheat.
“There were a lot of paparazzi and journalists at the event when I was on this so-called ‘date’. I’m in the public eye, you’d have to be stupid to think you could get away with something like that.
“I got back to the hotel at around 4am and I passed out. I left my friend at the party with her friend who was there too.
“I don’t ever pass out but I did that night. The next morning I rolled over and woke up at 12 thinking, ‘Shit, I’ve got to check out’ and messaged Peggy right after.”
After leaving the hotel, Georges says he bumped into Peggy in a shop minutes away from his hotel and suspects she was spying on him, which she denies.
He adds: “I’m around 200 steps away from the hotel, a few minutes walk, and I see someone in a shop. It’s Peggy. She lives an hour and a half away from where I’m staying.
“I head in and ask Peggy, ‘What are you doing here?’ I think she was trying to ‘catch me out’ believing I was cheating. She didn’t have a good reason for being there at all.”
The former MAFS man told us he has no intention to remain in the spotlight and looks forward to not talking about his reality star ex ever again.
He says that’s very opposite to Peggy, who he claims “can’t stop” talking about him and attends “every event because she’s so desperate for fame and relevance”.
Georges adds: “I didn’t want or feel the need to talk about this before, I’m here to set the record straight. I just want her to stop attacking me.
“This is the last time I will be talking about Peggy. If anyone asks me about her again I will say, ‘Next question’.
“I want to focus on my business. I want to move on, get on with the next chapter of my life and stop talking about something so irrelevant that no one cares about.
“We are not famous or important. This industry is a cesspit and a conveyor belt. It’s full of fakes and frauds. I can’t stand it that’s why I’m separating myself from it.
“Especially the events, they are the most cesspool-collecting loser-fest in the world. They are full of wannabes and I want no part of it.
“I want to move on past this. This was a showmance because I was in and she was out. That’s the truth. I’m so over her and have been for months.
“It took until March but I remember noticing, ‘I feel so much better with there being less pressure. I’m so much happier now.”
When The Sun contacted Peggy, she still insists Georges cheated and claimed to have ‘evidence’ but did not produce it.
She said she discovered his infidelity on Valentine’s Day and did not want his gifts nor to “protect him any longer” so posted about their break-up on that date.
Peggy denied infidelity adding: “I have never cheated on anybody and never would.”
She claimed she did give gifts to her ex but they were for his nephews “out of courtesy and politeness” because he sends presents for her nieces.
Peggy also denied having stalked her ex but did not explain why she was in the area where Georges had stayed the night.
She added: “I cancelled a big opportunity this day as I couldn’t sleep all night after finding out Georges was out with his ex and stayed in a hotel.
“I obviously loved George and it hurt me so much. He didn’t text me the whole evening yet posted stories at 4 am! I knew something was up!”
