MAFS UK’s Paul Brunson reveals he was groped on a practice
Married at First Sight UK matchmaker Paul Brunson has revealed he was groped on a train in front of his wife and children.
The US star, 50, says a group of five women recognised him from his TV appearances and one of the party inappropriately touched him as he stepped off board.
Paul, who also stars in E4 show Celebs Go Dating, admits he was more concerned about his wife having to witness the situation and hoped she would avoid confronting the woman.
To his relief, Paul says his wife Jill managed to keep her composure, but the relationship guru felt being touched without consent was ‘unacceptable.’
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Paul said: ‘We were getting off the train, my boys got off first and then it was me and my wife was behind.
Married at First Sight UK matchmaker Paul Brunson has revealed he was groped on a train in front of his wife and children
The US star says a group of five women recognised him from his TV appearances and one of the party inappropriately touched him as he stepped off board
‘There were five women coming onto the train and they saw me and as I was getting off, they grabbed my butt.
‘My wife was so classy, she looked at them and smiled. Sometimes people try and test the line and the best thing to do is remove yourself. I was more concerned about my wife in that situation. It was unacceptable.’
Paul is no stranger to unwanted attention.
Since becoming one of the most recognisable faces on UK dating shows, he’s been inundated with ‘naughty DMs’, as well as ‘graphic photos’ and ‘requests’ from fans who have been won over by his good looks and calming presence.
And his popularity is something his childhood sweetheart wife of 23 years has slowly got used to.
He explained: ‘I have had plenty of naughty DMs. I’ve had some scantily clad DMs, some graphic photos, some requests.
‘My wife Jill saw an article that came out saying “fans lust after delicious relationship guru” and she said “ooh, I get to be with the delicious dating guru tonight”, she has a fun time with it, but it is one of those where I blush.
‘I’m appreciative of the love and I also know the topics I talk about, not everyone agrees with, but I still appreciate the love I get when I’m out and about.’
Paul, who also stars in E4 show Celebs Go Dating , admits he was more concerned about his wife (pictured) having to witness the situation
Paul has been married to his wife Jill for 23 years and together the couple share sons Liam, ten, and Kingston, 13
Paul has been a fixture on UK television for six years having joined Celebs Go Dating in 2018.
He’s guided the love lives of stars including ex-Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan, Strictly’s Pete Wicks and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! winner Sam Thompson during his time on the show.
But it was a global superstar who first gave Paul his big TV break – American chat show queen Oprah Winfrey.
The iconic presenter discovered him after one of her staff members, working on her magazine, became one of his clients having recently become a full-time relationship coach after quitting his banking job and launching his own YouTube channel.
He was inspired to switch careers after counsellors working at a summer camp he volunteered at compared him to Will Smith’s character in the movie Hitch, a dating coach.
Paul explained: ‘They said it as a joke but that’s what inspired me. I went to the Matchers Institute conference in New York and I sat at the back of a hall with 250 of the world’s top matchers, looked across the hall and thought there’s no one in here that’s like me and I could bring something different to this space, which was when I began to investigate matchmaking.’
On Oprah’s influence, Paul added: ‘We would put out a YouTube video every week and this is not a joke, this is the truth, we would get 11 or 12 views, and my mother would watch nine times at least so there were three people watching.
‘But it turns out that Oprah Winfrey was one of the people watching. The backstory to that and this is a story that I rarely tell is that a lot of people say, how did Oprah find you if nobody was watching your series?
As well as his TV work, Paul is Tinder’s Global Relationship Insights Expert and has also recently launched a new podcast called Need To Talk
Paul stars alongside Charlene Douglas on Married at First Sight UK where they guide couples who have wed after meeting for the first time at the altar through their relationships
‘She found me because months prior when we were preparing to launch our agency, we had pro bono clients. One of our clients who I was working with for free, it turns out she was a writer for O Magazine, and she didn’t tell me that she worked there, and she told Oprah about me.
‘I got a message from the Oprah Winfrey network, and I was immediately invited to co-host a TV show, which was a social experiment with Oprah and that’s what led me into TV. Through Oprah’s endorsement, the matchmaking agency grew.
‘Fast forward to 2018, I receive a message from producers on Celebs Go Dating and that changed our lives forever.’
Paul and his family, including sons Liam, ten, and Kingston, 13, are now firmly settled in the UK, he’s even become a co-owner of non-league football club Sutton United.
As well as his TV work, Paul is Tinder’s Global Relationship Insights Expert and has also recently launched a new podcast called Need To Talk.
But currently the Washington-born star is navigating newlyweds in the current series of Married At First Sight UK, which kicked off this week.
The latest instalment has already sparked controversy after new groom Alex Henry was accused of domestic abuse.
Paul insists each contestant is thoroughly vetted and if they do display concerning behaviour, he and fellow experts Charlene Douglas and Mel Schilling quickly act upon it.
He said: ‘There is a full casting team on the show, who do background checks, phycological checks, interviews etc. and we meet the contributors.
The Washington-born star is navigating newlyweds in the current series of Married At First Sight UK, which kicked off this week
Paul insists each contestant cast on the show is thoroughly vetted and if they do display concerning behaviour, he and fellow experts Charlene Douglas and Mel Schilling act upon it
The matchmaker has worked with transgender star Ella Morgan on MAFS as well as Celebs Go Dating
‘I have to trust that Channel 4 and the production company have done the best they can in terms of that process.
‘The process does improve itself every year. It is a thorough process, it involves police background check, psychological assessment, a multitude of interviews, all of that is done and then once that has all been cleared, and what is being cleared is all available information, that is when we are introduced to the contributors.
‘Whenever we hear of poor behaviour it is disheartening. But ultimately, I believe most people are generally good people, but we all have behaviour, which needs to be addressed.
‘The beauty of this show is people can watch it and see that they have the same behaviour that is being exhibited or their partner and they can get the tools to address it.’
A key storyline so far this series concerns bride Emma Barnes who was left devastated by new husband Kasper Todd’s comments surrounding her weight.
Paul is quick to point out he and his relationship experts will take the groom to task over his attitude towards female body shape.
He added: ‘Trust me, I address this specific issue. On Married at First Sight UK with this particular issue, we are there to help with the accountability and with this I held the party responsible.’
