MAFS bride Nelly’s justifications for liking her contentious groom Steven in the first place

For weeks and weeks, we’ve watched Nelly and Steven complain about their relationship but choose to stay on MAFS UK. After all Steven’s angry outbursts, Julia-Ruth’s meddling, the partner swap with April, and the Hinge accusations, it’s hard to remember an era when Nelly and Steven had anything positive to say about each other. Nelly has shed some light on the reasons why she even liked Steven in the first place. This extra context helps me wrap my head around all the chaos.

Nelly listed her reasons for actually liking Steven on the MAFS UK: It’s Official podcast. “It sounds really cheesy,” she said, “but when I went down the aisle, I started to get a bit nervous, and I just felt really calm. He just seemed really reassuring. He was quite sure of himself. And I find confidence really attractive. I can’t even explain it… it was just a feeling.

Nelly and Steven’s wedding on MAFS UK 2025
(Image via Channel 4)

“I was thinking, ‘You were the dream man.’ And he said himself, ‘Where had I been for 34 years of his life?'”

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Nelly insisted that at the start of her relationship with Steven, their bond went beyond just fancying each other. “On the honeymoon, there obviously was a physical attraction, but I did actually start to fall for him, as we saw on that first dinner party where I cried. Normally I would never go that first. I would be like, ‘Woah, take a step back.’ But I was like, ‘No, go with it. Don’t self-sabotage. If you are having a good time, and he is interested in you, just enjoy it.’ So that’s what I was trying to do.”

Nelly and Steven looking happy together, once upon a time
(Image via Channel 4)

While filming MAFS, Nelly did think Steven was developing feelings for her too. However, after watching some of MAFS UK 2025 back, she’s not sure he was. “Maybe I was trying to see something that wasn’t actually there, but because I was so hopeful, maybe I was really trying to cling onto that.”

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Featured images via Channel 4.