LOOKING FOR LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

INFLUENCER ON MAFS FOR LOVE

Three has unveiled the 12 singles taking the leap into marriage for the second season of Married at First Sight NZ.

Unlike last year where the marriages were legally binding, this year the show has opted for non-official ceremonies. And after some of the ructions during and after season one, we hear the experts have taken pride in their matches. With the weddings and honeymoons done, the cast have met, and — in general and unlike last year — like each other. Russian-born beauty Ksenia

Smorodinova, 33, is a sales manager from Auckland. She is seeking a caring, considerate, honest soulmate with ambition. and doesn’t want someone who is selfish, lacking in drive or who tells lies. A fit Kiwi bloke with a nice smile is what she has ordered.

Looking for a soulmate who is funny, confident, honest and loyal and who has never done the dirty on their partner is 44-yearold Dunedin entrepreneur Dave

McClelland. He likes his sports and recently completed a threeweek boot camp in Thailand. Cantabrian account manager,

Julia Malley, 32, is a selfdescribed extrovert who has been single for six years. She would like her husband to be tall, kind and manly, but who can also express himself emotionally. We hear if he looks like Entourage star

Adrian Grenier that would be a great start. Wellington electrician, Dan

McLaughlan, 30, (who we think looks a little like former royal butler Paul Burrell), has entered the show hoping to find his best friend. He loves to travel — has visited 30 different countries at last count — and wants to see more with his new wife. Beware if you travel with him as he says he talks a lot. However, if Pulp Fiction is available on the playlist, that will keep him busy.

Japanese-born, Yuki Sato,

31, is a Christchurch hairdresser and business owner who is a romantic through and through. If her husband turned up at the altar with a bad haircut, tattoos or was rude, she would not be happy. Yuki is a strong woman and watch out anyone who thinks of her as a stereotypical, submissive little Japanese girl.

Tayler Morgan, 29, is an industrial electrician apprentice in Christchurch, who has learned not to open up so quickly and easily. He likes snowboarding, wakeskating and most things that go fast. Tayler is a romantic guy looking for his soul mate.

If there is a MAFS wife who is going to enjoy the attention, it is 32-year-old Ottie Schwartz from Christchurch. Ottie wants a bit of a dare-devil with street smarts and likes a guy with tatts. The promotions manager likes to be the centre of attention and calls herself crazy beautiful. South African-born Gareth

Noble, 26, is an apprentice barber from Cromwell. He is cheeky but caring and the tatt’ed hipster loves to cook, clean and sew. Gareth is very close to his family and wants kids of his own. He would like his partner to rival his playful personality and accompany him on adventures.

Monique Lee is a 25-year-old Jewish teacher from Christchurch with a long list of “definitely nots” in her husband wish list. Cocky and right-wing are on the “no” side, but she would also like him to be non-judgmental. Monique can break the tension in a room by showing off her hidden talent of tap dancing. Wayne McIntosh, 32, is a helicopter engineer from Taranaki, whose friends have all walked up the aisle leaving him in their wake. We guess he had no choice but to join MAFS. Wayne is a hopeless romantic, has never had a bad break-up, remains friends with all his exes and likes Mexican food. Wellington-based policy analyst

Fraser Pearce, 27, grew up in the Bay of Islands, but after moving to the capital for university, has found his home there among the diverse culture of its café scene. Fraser, wants a woman to make him feel like the centre of the universe. Fraser seeks physical affection and words of affirmation from his future partner.

And finally, we have fashion content producer and small business owner Samuel Levi,

25 — (see our main story on the Influencer looking for love not fame).

An Auckland influencer has front-footed it with Spy to ward off criticism that he is on the second season of Married at First Sight

NZ seeking fame, rather than love.

Viewers will soon see fashion man about town Samuel Levi,

25, marry a husband at first glance.

Levi has become friends with reality show contestants over the past several years, has shown an interest in getting on television before and is good friends with last season’s gay bad boy Benjamin Blackwell, whose marriage to Aaron Chisholm had viewers at home cringing.

“I am going into the show with much more of an open mind than Ben did, I didn’t go to the altar with my perfect guy in my mind. I went to the experts as a blank canvas, told them about me, that I am at an age where I would like to settle down with someone and happily put my trust in them. I can say I have gone into this experiment a lot more positively and deeply than Ben did.” Levi tells Spy.

Blackwell was part of the infamous “Pretty Committee” that developed last season, where friendships developed in social media groups while filming was happening, causing havoc and scandal around the show.

“This year’s group are awesome people, there are no mean people so to speak and so far, no personal insults, no social media groups. Everyone is focusing on their relationships and supporting each other in their journeys in the experiment.”

So, is the guy well known to the scene in Auckland, on the show for fame and followers?

“I’ll tell you this, my social media is a business I have cultivated over years. I had to weigh up when I jumped in this bubble who would cringe and who would support me, and I can tell you many of the followers I already have would cringe at me doing a reality show.

“That being said, I have always been a fan of the show and the idea that the experts could find something for me I have not found myself. I am definitely in this looking for love.”

The most important approval was from his family, who are based in Auckland and Australia.

“I had a good chat with all my family; they have always supported what I do and after a few hesitations and good questions about 'what if', they are really happy and supportive and were there at my wedding.”

Levi says he had the people at his wedding that he would have had in real life. His brother was best man and a childhood friend, who isn’t a fan of the fame game, as groomsman. He did have some high-profile friends as guests; media personality Erin Simpson, who MC’d and social media leader

Makaia Carr gave a speech. On the reality TV front, Season one Bachelorette Alysha Brown was there, as too was Blackwell, who is evidently happy for his mate. The 25-year-old told the show’s experts he wanted someone taller than himself, with a nice smile, who is as motivated and career-driven as he is. So, what happened at the altar?

“I was shitting myself actually, the enormity of what I was doing, but without giving too much away, it went a lot better than Ben and Aaron’s ceremony. From there I have had a positive outlook and get a lot of the things the experts were thinking, I learn more each week and so far, so good.”