Married at First Sight love rat Ben Jardine: ‘You can’t force chemistry’

Married at First Sight Ben Jardine Stephanie

by Georgina Terry |
Updated on

As Married at First Sight returns, Ben Jardine reveals why his marriage didn't last

Ben Jardine, 37, was matched with Stephanie, 33, on Married At First Sight in 2018. Initially, it seemed the matchmakers had worked their magic, with sparks flying immediately.

But after the cameras stopped rolling, the arguments began – as did the headlines. Ben and Stephanie decided to live apart, and after just a few weeks, they split, with Ben describing the marriage as a “chore”.

Since his appearance on the show, Ben has faced a public backlash, with rumours emerging that he had a secret 20-year-old girlfriend, and that he broke up with his Stephanie by announcing it during a radio interview.

Ben went on to appear on the final series of Celebrity Big Brother. During his time in the house, he confessed to housemates that he was expecting his first child with a mystery woman, and their daughter was born in November 2018. But, despite the drama, he says he wouldn’t change a thing.

CHECK OUT how much the CBB 2018 cast were paid

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So what are the CBB contestants earning this summer?

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NICK LEESON - 40,000

So Nick's fame is all down to being the man who brought down Barings Bank, what was the second oldest Merchant Bank in the world. After a series of fraudulent and unauthorised moves, he lost the bank more than 800 million, resulting in its collapse and a prison sentence. He released an autobiography and had a film made about it, but this is a real chance for Nick to move away from his dark past.

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GABBY ALLEN - 40,000

As the second Love Island star to go into the CBB house, after January's Jonny Mitchell, Gabby won't be a stranger to being locked away from the outside world with a bunch of strangers. Of course, here she'll be swapping the idyllic sun and paradise pool for a series that is literally touted as a storm; and instead of a bunch of fit blokes she's getting a rogue trader and a naughty football - but the 40k will be nice (and she doesn't have to split this money).

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CREDIT: Instagram

BEN JARDINE - 50,000

Property tycoon and Married At First Sight star Ben isn't short of a pound note, but a bumper package of 50,000 is never anything to turn your nose up at. In a shocking twist that will be spoken about for years to come, he and his Married At First Sight wife, Stephanie, have begun divorce proceedings. They were the only couple from the show to stay married, but after cheating on Stephanie with a 'friend' of his, Ben announced the split on FUBAR radio, the same way every loving marriage comes to an end. To top it all off, Ben is expecting a child with a mystery woman, so the star's pay packet will come in useful when the little one arrives.

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DAN OSBORNE - 60,000

The ex-Towie star is returning to the television for the first time since he was axed from the show following a foul-mouthed rant at the mother of his first child, Megan Tomlin, where he threatened to stab her. Dan will be sharing the house with Gaby Allen, who he was accused of cheating on his wife, Jacqueline Jossa, with. The couple have split, with Dan moving out of the family home, but he recently returned to help take care of their newbaby daughter, Mia. The show offers Dan a nice sum of money, but temptation will be looming. Will he put in the graft to couple up with Gabby?

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RODRIGO ALVES - 60,000

Know affectionately as The Human Ken Doll, Rodrigo has spent over 500k on cosmetic surgery, but a source recently told the Sun Online that he's using the show as a chance to show the public the real him. "He's been thinking recently it's important they know the personality behind the headlines," they said. Sixty grand though, that's enough for another couple of surgeries.

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CREDIT: Instagram

NATALIE NUNN - 100,000

The American Reality star was kicked off her show after a violent fight with cast members. She's married to American Footballer, Jacob Payne. He's never played in the NFL, and truth be told is more of a reality star than professional footballer, but each to their own.

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CREDIT: Shutterstock

CHLOE AYLING - 100,000

The 20-year-old glamour model was the victim of a kidnapping, where she was held drugged and held captive for six days in Milan on what she thought was a booking for a shoot. Now, Chloe is looking to put that past behind her, and is going into the house on her own terms, ready to rid herself of the baggage of her past. There were claims at the time that it was all a publicity hoax to drive publicity, but her kidnapper, Lukasz Herba, was sentenced to 16 years in prison for the crime.

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CREDIT: Instagram

KIRSTIE ALLEY - 200,000

The oldest contestant entering the house is also one of the bigger names, and she's earning her fair share as a result. The actress, who appeared in Star Trek and Cheers, will add some real star quality to the line up. A Hollywood fee for a Hollywood star.

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SALLY MORGAN - 200,000

The TV psychic will have been thanking the higher powers when she saw how much she was earning - she's probably known the figure for years. As well as George Michael and Uma Thurman, she was the trusted medium of Princess Diana, and claims to have predicted her death a year before the People's Princess was involved in a fatal car accident. Sally was recently hit with a mega tax bill worth 3million, according to HMRC, which her firm is disputing. Whatever the outcome, Sally will be welcoming the 200,000 she's getting for her time in the CBB house. Let's hope she sees some better luck coming her way in the near future. We wonder if she'll let us know who the winner is going to be.

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CREDIT: Shutterstock

JERMAINE PENNANT - 200,000

The footballer is looking to show that he's matured now.

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RYAN THOMAS - 500,000

The Corrie star's family are covering all the bases of reality TV, with his brother Adam appearing in I'm A Celebrity, and Scott starring in season two of Love Island. Ryan quit Coronation Street to earn more money in reality TV, a source said. And with the success of his brothers, plus a 500k pay cheque, it's hard to argue with that. Let's see if it's third time lucky for the family and he actually wins it. We reckon ask Sally before you put a bet on.

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CREDIT: Instagram

ROXANNE PALLETT - 750,000

The former Emmerdale star is in for a big payday, earning three quarters of a million pounds. Show bosses have reportedly been after the star for a number of years, finally putting forward the money which must have persuaded her. The soap-star was involved in a serious car accident whilst racing her Minster FM radio co-host, Ben Fry, last month.After her lucky escape, Roxanne is back in the driver's seat with this sum of money.

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He explains, “Stephanie was gorgeous and had a heart of gold but, after the honeymoon, it became obvious we weren’t meant to be. She wanted romance and regimented date nights, but I’m more spontaneous and I don’t think you can force love like that. We should have taken more time to understand what the other wanted out of a relationship. Instead, we just argued.

“The biggest piece of advice I can give to this year’s couples is to be honest with yourself, and your partner. I should have told Stephanie straight away that I wasn’t feeling it, but I was scared, and I let it drag on longer than it should have. That wasn’t fair on either of us."

Married at First Sight Ben Steph
Channel 4

“But if I could go back, I’d do it all again. My wedding will always be one of the best days of my life, and I hope this year’s crop will enjoy every second of it. It’s definitely a story to tell the grandkids!

“Stephanie and I aren’t on speaking terms at the moment – apart from through lawyers to finalise our divorce – which is a real shame. She’s a great girl, and while I know a lot has been said, I never did anything intentionally to hurt her. I’d love to be able to call her for a chat. For now, I’m still looking for love and I wish the couples this year the best of luck. People will say they’re mad, but I’d tell them to ignore the critics. I still have faith in the process. It didn’t work out for me, but hopefully this year MAFS will make two people very happy."

When is Married at First Sight back?

Married at First Sight returns on Wednesday 20 March at 9pm on Channel 4.

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