Ashley navigates challenges with bride Grace during in-laws week on Married at First Sight UK 2025
In-laws week encounters
On October 6, the programme featured in-laws week, where the participants were introduced to each other’s close contacts. Ashley, a 35-year-old operations director from Bridgend, met Grace’s friends, while Grace, a 31-year-old midwife from Norwich, met Ashley’s family.
At the dinner, Ashley shared with them that he had deliberately selected people from different walks of life with contrasting opinions, mentioning that Grace is a "liberal feminist," whereas he sees himself as an old-school gentleman.
He also mentioned that a few things that he said and did had upset Grace, who got anxious as she saw him as a misogynist; however, he assured her that he was a gentleman.
Grace responded that there were certain things Ash was saying that she was hearing as being a bit "judgmental" of women. Later, Ashley reflected,
"Yesterday we'd both kind of hit a stage, where this shouldn't be this hard." Grace added, "It feels like extreme highs and then like extreme lows. It's very intense."
Guidance from Ashley’s sister
During the gathering, Ashley’s sister shared her perspective on the couple’s relationship. She explained that marriage requires continuous "graft" every day, meaning consistent effort and dedication.
She emphasized that if someone is not prepared to put in this level of commitment, they are not ready for marriage, highlighting the importance of working on the relationship actively.
While Grace stepped away briefly, Ashley’s sister continued by describing the experience as the "oddest" she could imagine.
She said that she notices every detail and observed Ashley and Grace repeatedly apologizing to each other. She pointed out that entering a relationship should not require changing one’s natural self and stressed that effort in a partnership must be mutual.
According to her, it is not possible to sustain a relationship if one person is giving all the effort while the other is not responding in kind, and she underscored that a partner should show willingness to engage in the relationship for it to succeed.
Ashley replied,
"If I felt like she wasn't trying I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't. The Grace now has softened so much since the wedding, and I've already seen a difference with her just today. So, it's like two steps forward, one back."
His mother also added that she thinks Grace is "lovely." After returning to the table, Grace clarified her position, explaining that it feels like all she has done is complain about Ash and emphasising that there is still a lot she does love about him.
The dinner ended with Grace showing her new nails, which featured a small "A" for Ashley. The meeting concluded with both participants and Ashley’s family acknowledging the ongoing effort involved in navigating their relationship.
Stay tuned for more updates.