I have just listened to the eye opening latest Lara on Eyre podcast with Nathaniel. He is not a happy bunny over the way he feels he has been treated by Channel 4! He revealed that he unknowingly went on, what he calls a mate's date, before he went on the show with his real MAFS partner but they didn't continue it as they were both 'going away' (it turns out going on MAFS). They put their pictures up on their SM and then he found out that his date had also been going on the show but had been dropped - he thinks Production thought they might be a set up. Channel 4 denied this but Ella told him about a couple who had met preshow where one was dropped. As we now know Nathaniel then had his arm twisted to go on with a trans woman - he knew she was trans before the show despite her 'reveal' so he felt they made him look stupid. He's annoyed that they weren't actually matched but put together so she could appear on the show and she was the opposite of everything he asked for (very like JJ for Bianca) - he has never gone out with anyone trans and wouldn't want his first experience of doing so to be on TV. On the honeymoon he was going to leave and he was told Ella wanted to apologise so they sat down together and he then asked that the filming stop and most put down their cameras, except one (similar to what Georges said on his honeymoon), that then turned into the argument where he revealed she had been a stripper before - which Channel 4 had asked him not to mention on film but they aired it. He was again pressured to stay on. During the first couple of weeks back after the honeymoons the cast were criticised by Production for not showing enough of their 'personalities' and a story team was brought in. He revealed that Ella continually watched the previous year's MAFS dating couple (Whitney and Matt) recoupling part on their TV. When JJ came in she said she didn't find him attractive ("a gremlin dwarf"). Nathaniel's implication being she and JJ weren't genuinely together (which isn't a huge surprise to me) - she got her emotional story and JJ came over as open minded and accepting - the good guy. During the commitment ceremony where Ella said Nathaniel wouldn't compromise were kept in even though she immediately backtracked and said actually he did, which the group confirmed and said he did a lot. Whitney pulled Ella up for saying he wasn't physical with her - again not shown. He said Bianca looked continually upset and he kept asking if he could go and talk to her but was not allowed even though it wasn't a problem to see the others. Which confirms what Bianca said about being isolated from the group for several days.
In their apartment Ella was always off with the others and never 'worked' on their relationship so he spent most of the time alone except when he had some of the others round for meals etc. He feels he was constantly protective of Ella even after the show but this was not reciprocated. He said Ella is not a bad person and could be lovely but behaved badly and she lied a lot/was false. She went through his phone found an ex-girlfriend and stalked her online. I know she has a legion of fans now, but I really don't like the sound of her one bit (not just because of Nathaniel's POV) - she needs to grow up, have a smidgen of integrity and just be kind.
He also feels that Channel 4 gaslit him, gave a skewed version of his personality and actions along with other cast members especially many of the women in the show. Channel 4 have blocked several of his press articles and podcasts which Lara said had also happened to her. He feels they should have been honest with the cast about what they were trying to achieve - an entertainment drama for ratings. He ended by saying that the Head of Welfare who lied to get him to come onto the show is now Ella's manager, it's also who he rang with his concerns once but she was too drunk to come to the phone. He said he made Channel 4 aware of this possible conflict of interest but nothing came of it. He would not advise anyone to go on the show now.
I have given you lovely people my take so that you don't have to listen but would say it is worth it. It is the least lighthearted of Lara's MAFS podcast and I imagine he is more laidback and funny in real life than he comes across. He's angry and earnestly wants to give his version of what really happened. I hope something good comes out of it all for him.
The more we hear about this year's MAFS the more uncomfortable I am with the way the show is going and their treatment of the people/tv novices who they should be looking after and protecting. It sounds like a toxic show and, although I know I am obsessed with it, I do not want to watch any future series unless they revise their procedures and how they go about making the show. I feel there is a potential for MAFS UK to have a Jeremy Kyle moment where a participant is severely damaged in some way. I wish they would go back to the original format! That would probably lower their ratings a little but they would have more heart.